The Chosen
by adoctoraday
Summary: What if there is more than one Chosen One? One to save humanity, and one to save Heaven? What will it mean for Michael when he discovers that Gabriella is meant to save him, and all of Heaven?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, so I am not an Alex/Michael shipper-so sorry! This is an OC/Michael fic- so if that's what you are looking for then yay! Love this show, loved the movie, hope you enjoy the story I'm coming up with! Review at your leisure! **

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Gabriella sat at her desk, completing the paperwork associated with the four surgeries and twelve patients she had seen today. The hardest surgery had been that of a four year old girl who needed heart surgery. She had made it through the surgery, but still hadn't woken up. There were varying times for after surgery recovery for children, and though the little girl wasn't in the danger zone yet, it was troubling Gabriella that she hadn't woken yet. Sighing, she ran a hand over her face, rubbing her tired eyes. There were far too many patients here in Vega, and not enough doctors or nurses. She was overworked and exhausted. Looking to the clock she wasn't surprised to see it was half past eleven. She organized her files and stashed them in her filing cabinet before flicking off the lights and locking the door behind her. Looping her bag over her head Gabriella was almost out the door when the angel Michael came stumbling in with a young blonde man propped up under him. His dark eyes connected with hers as he rested the young man on an empty bed. "He needs attention, please doctor." Sighing, Gabriella walked over and nabbed a pair of gloves out of a nearby box, snapping them on. She began a preliminary examination and spoke over her shoulder to Michael, "What happened?" She could see lacerations across his chest, three evenly placed, long and deep. She grabbed a pair of scissors and cut off his shirt and then began picking out debris from the cuts. She pointed to a thermometer with her tweezers, "Take his temp" she said to Michael without looking up from the cuts. She could see him pick it up and hold it, but not do as she said. "Why?" he asked in his deep low voice. She continued cleaning the wounds, "Because, I can check and see if he's running a fever, meaning he's fighting an infection. If he is, it means he'll need strong antibiotics, because he's already fighting something." She heard Michael make a low hmmm-ing noise in his throat and then saw him proceed with taking the man's temperature. She looked up when the thermometer beeped quirking an eyebrow at him as if to say "Well?" He held it out to her saying, "100.5, I assume that is not good." Gabriella sighed, "No. It means he is starting to fight an infection." She pointed to the medicine cabinet across the room, "Grab the glass vial of ceftriaxone, and a needle, he needs antibiotics and he's not conscious to receive them orally so he'll get it this way. I assume you don't want him set up in here?" Michael moved across the room swiftly, retrieving the items she had asked for and resumed his position beside Alex. "No, can you help me set him up in my quarters?" She glanced up at him giving him a quizzical look before nodding. She measured out a dosage and injected it into the man's bloodstream in his arm, taking note of the tattoos on his arm. She put a cotton ball on the injection site, and covered it with a bandage. She rapidly finished cleaning his wounds and dressed them. She grabbed some more bandages and iodine, a bag of saline and an IV, shoving it all into her bag. She looked down at the unconscious man, taking note of the tattoos again, and back up to Michael. "I assume this guy is important…I won't ask questions for now, let's just get him upstairs." Michael gave her a long look and then nodded, grabbing the young man and began carrying him out the doors. She slung her bag over shoulder and followed them, letting out a small gasp of surprise when Michael took off into the sky with the man. "Humph…must be nice to not have to walk" she muttered. She walked across the streets to the needle where Michael lived and was granted access, no questions asked; apparently the guards had been alerted to her arrival. She stood in the elevator, fidgeting as she rode to the top. She grimaced when she saw her appearance, her long silky black hair was pulled into a messy bun, but stray pieces were falling around her face and neck, making her look disheveled. Her face was sweaty and there were dark circles under her dark blue eyes. Her olive skin was paled by exhaustion, and her mouth was tight from hunger and impatience to be done with this. The bell dinged and the doors opened, and she gratefully exited the elevator. She walked into what could only be described as luxury. Her own quarters were embarrassing compared to this. Shrugging her bag higher on her shoulder she moved swiftly through the room to where Michael was pacing by the bed, where the man was laying, still unconscious. She moved to the bed and knelt down by the man, ignoring Michael for the moment. She grabbed the man's wrist and took his pulse, closing her eyes to focus; she could feel Michael's eyes on her. After a minute she opened them and stood, swaying, she was so tired and hungry. Michael's hand clamped on her shoulder, steadying her for moment until she nodded her thanks and moved out from under his hand. She could swear she felt a sting when he touched her. Strange. She turned to face him, "Ok, so his heart rate is good, nice and steady. I'm going to set up the IV, get some fluids in him. He should wake up sometime tomorrow mid-morning. I can show you how to change his bandages, or I can come and do it." Michael's eyes were unreadable when he spoke, "I would prefer if you would come. Alex is very important to Vega." Gabriella cracked a tired smile, "What, is he the Chosen One?" she joked. To her astonishment, Michael stiffened, and became visibly agitated, his eyes boring into her. He grabbed the tops of her arms, "Who told you? How did you know?!" She stared at him in shock, "W-what?! I was just kidding! You can't be serious!" she stuttered out. Michael continued to stare at her for a long moment before releasing her and stepping back. "You didn't know…Then you must not tell anyone. It is vital his identity as the Chosen One remains a secret until he is ready to reveal himself." Michael's eyes were if anything, more intense as he stared at her, demanding she kept this enormous secret. Gabriella turned away to stare at Alex, putting together the tattoos, and the close association with Michael….it made sense.

Michael watched as the doctor took in the information that Alex was the Chosen One. She didn't kneel to Alex. She simply began to set up the IV and tend to him. He had been seized with terror that she would go running from the building, shouting the news to Vega. But she had surprised him, keeping quiet, and continuing her work. He had known of Gabriella for some time, she had patched some of his wounds, some of Alex's before the tattoos appeared and had been under watch by the council for sharing his brother's name. There were few people who had been born with the name Gabriel or Gabriella who hadn't changed it, fewer so in Vega. As one of the preeminent doctors in Vega, she had face scrutiny for her decision. He had been there the day she had come before the council, stating that the name had been given to her by her parents, who had named her that in hopes that someday Gabriel would be redeemed and there would be a time for rejoicing at the name. She stated proudly that her parents had died to save her from 8 balls, and that she would not dishonor them by changing her name. As she had stood before the council, just 25 years old and already a talented doctor, he had seen some of his brother in her. Defiant and proud, strong and willful. But as he later watched her tend to patients, he saw that she was what his Father had hoped humanity would be, kind, caring, and loving to all. She worked exhausting hours and felt the loss of her patients deeply. She came before the council frequently demanding better supplies and more resources. He was always impressed with her, especially now. He was snapped out of his reverie when she finished working on Alex and picked up her bag, shifting uncomfortably in front of him. "Ok, I'll come back around 10am tomorrow, that's my mid morning shift break and I can check on him then." Michal inclined his head, "Thank you Dr. Hasan. I appreciate your help and your discretion this evening." She stared at him and he could see the shock in her face. Clearly she hadn't been expecting him to express his thanks. He decided to surprise her further, "Since it is already late and you have to rise earlier than most of us, would you like a lift home?" She looked at him, puzzled. He spread his wings, almost smiling when she let out a squeak of surprise as the small puff of air buffeted her. He held out his hand, "As you said, it is nice not to have to walk occasionally." His near smile grew into a full smile when he saw the blush spread across her cheeks as she realized he had heard her. Her eyes darted from his hand to his face, "I-I can't, what if I fall?" Michael surprised her again by laughing softly, "The only people I drop are those that I want to." She swallowed hard and nodded, reaching out to take his hand. Michael led her out onto the balcony and swiftly wrapped his arms around her waist before leaping off the balcony, chuckling softly as she let out a stream of curses. The flight was short, and he noted that she eventually quieted and began to look out at the view of Vega. When they landed in front of her house she stumbled slightly, catching herself on his arm. Gabriella stepped away and gave him a tired smile, "Well, thanks for the uh, lift. That was a different view of Vega….I'll see you tomorrow morning. If he gets worse in anyway tonight or tomorrow morning, you know where to find me." Michael nodded and inclined his head in a sort of bow, "Good evening Dr. Hasan." She gave a short smile and muttered "Goodnight" before darting inside. Michael began to walk back to his tower, and thinking of her strong hand and steady heart, spoke quietly to himself, "Gabriella- God gives strength indeed…" He took off into the night sky and wondered at the fateful name, wondered if his Father had brought her to Vega for a greater purpose.


	2. Flyboy

**Holy crap guys! So many good reviews, follows and faves! After just one chapter?! HUGS! I am so excited to write this, and I am excited for this Thursday's episode! Happy dance! lol ok, as usual, please review, this is a loooong one! Just for you dearest readers! **

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Gabriella woke early the next morning, burying her head under her pillow as her alarm shrieked. "Fuck you too" she mumbled. She had gotten to bed around 1am after helping Michael, and it was now 5am. It was going to be a long, long day. Dragging her tired body out of bed, she trudged into the bathroom and climbed in before the water was even hot, shuddering as the cold water made her skin break out in goosebumps. She washed quickly, and was out just as the water was heating up. She smirked, at least she hadn't used her hot water allotment for the day…probably for the whole week even. She dressed quickly in her standard dark brown linen pants, colored cotton tank and a linen elbow length button down. Being around patients meant limiting exposure to blood and other fluids. She had long ago foregone scrubs for the less sterile street clothing. It meant scrubbing blood and other bodily fluids out of her clothing, but it was worth it to see the trust in her patient's eyes when they saw that she was just like them. Gathering up her lunch and snacks into her bag, she quickly braided her still wet hair and glanced around, making sure she had everything. Nodding she locked her door behind her and began her walk to the hospital. She was lucky to only live five blocks from work, so it was a short walk, but an enjoyable on, as the sky was just starting to be colored by the sun. She moved through the halls, and came to her office, unlocked the wooden, shoving on it-_damn thing always sticks_- she thought, and settled in behind her desk a moment later. She munched on an apple as she looked over her files and laid out her plans for her day, making a schedule in her appointment book. She was rarely able to stick to it, but it helped her to have a place to write down what she wanted to get done, organize patients by critical need, etc. Her first patient would be the little girl from heart surgery, see if she had woken up. Then two other surgery patients would need to be checked on, and after that she was sure there would be patients in the clinic, and then it would be time to go to Michael's quarters and change Alex's bandages. Gabriella sighed and laid her face in her hands, she was so tired and it was only, she peeked between her fingers, fuuuuck, 6am. She took a moment to quiet her mind, did deep breaths, and after a few moments felt better prepared for the day.

**Hours Later**

Gabriella was sitting with an old man finishing up tending to his leg laceration when a nurse tapped her on the shoulder, "Dr. Hasan. There's a call for you. It's…Michael." Gabriella's head snapped up from the old man's leg and first looked at the time, 10:30?! "Shit!" she swore softly. She looked up the young nurse, "Carly right? Can you please finish up here?" Carly nodded and smiled at her. Gabriella said a quick goodbye to the old man, who really was quite sweet and ran to her office, ducking other doctors and patients and picked up the phone, "Michael, I am so sorry! I got wrapped up in patients! I'll be right over!" she exclaimed, feeling like she was trying to explain herself to a disappointed parent. She was surprised when she heard a soft laugh, "It's all right Doctor Hasan, Alex woke shortly earlier this morning but went back to sleep. His head feels cool, and his breathing seems regular." Gabriella raised an eyebrow at his cool assessment of his friend- was Alex a friend?- she wondered to herself. "Ok, well I'll still be right over. I'll bring some antibiotics just in case. Bye." She hung up quickly and gathered her things up before heading out into the hall looking for her boss, Thomas Kelly. She spotted him further down the hall talking to a nurse. She waved to him and pointed to the clock, "I'm taking my break, I'm late for it, so I'll take lunch too if that's ok. I was in by 5:30 this morning." Tom nodded to her and waved her away. She was one of his best doctors and he allowed her the most leeway. She moved across Vega quickly and was ushered into the elevator in Michaels tower. She once again inspected herself and was once again disappointed. At 28 years old she looked tired and worn down. At 5 foot 8, she was taller than most women in Vega, and her heavy work schedule kept her at a steady 150 pounds. She rarely had time to work out, but when she did, she practiced the self defense that her father had taught her, sparring with the soldiers. She had surprised more than one soldier, kicking the shit out of them. She smirked into the mirrored walls of the elevator just as the doors opened and Michael stood before her. He raised a brow, "Something funny Dr. Hasan?" Her smile faltered, "I-uh…no." She ran a hand nervously over her braid and brushed off her shirt.

He moved aside, holding out his arm, ushering her forward. She nodded her head and moved swiftly through the room, stopping short when she saw that Alex was awake and sitting up. She smiled at him and sat down on the bed next to him, dropping her bag on the floor. She held out her hand, "Hi Alex, my name is Dr. Hasan and I treated you last night. Do you remember anything about that?" He shook her hand as he shook his head no. "Sorry ma'am, but no, is that bad?" Gabriella laughed, "You can skip the ma'am and call me Gabriella or Dr. Hasan, whichever you prefer. And no, it's not bad; you experienced an 8 ball attack, the trauma of which rendered you unconscious. How are you feeling today?" She waited for his response as she began to take his pulse, "I'm ok. A little sore, but other than that good, I guess." She nodded, and after a moment spoke, "Ok. Your pulse is good, so let's go ahead and change your bandages. Can you stand for me please?" She stood and offered him her hand which he took, standing slowly, wincing as his wounds tugged. As he stood steady, Gabriella released his hand and began unwinding the bandage. Leaning in to inspect the wound she was pleased to see there was little redness. She glanced first to Alex and then to Michael, "It looks really good, no sign of infection. It seems like the antibiotics did their job." She pointed to her bag, "Can you hand me that please?" she asked Michael. He moved swiftly, with all the grace of well, an angel, she thought-_duh, you dumbass_-she rolled her eyes at her own silliness. Michael handed her the bag, and she rooted through it until she found the iodine, antibiotic cream and more bandages. She cleaned the wound again, rubbed some cream on it, and rewrapped his wounds.

When she was done she looked to Michael, "May I use your bathroom to wash my hands?" he nodded and pointed to the left, "It's just through there." She gave him a brief smile of thanks and walked quickly into the bathroom, leaving the door cracked while she washed her hands. She overheard Michael and Alex speaking, "Do you trust her Michael?" she heard Alex ask. Intrigued, she left the water running and moved closer to the door, "I do Alex. She is one of the finest humans I have ever met. She brings honor to humanity." Stunned, Gabriella moved back to the sink and shut off the water. She looked at the woman in the mirror and wondered if what Michael said was true. Did she bring honor to humanity? Was she that good of a person? She only ever tried to make her parents proud. Swallowing around a lump in her throat at the thought of them, she wiped away the dampness from her eyes and checked her face, making sure she didn't appear like she had been upset. Running the water for a brief second she wiped her face off and toweled it dry. She never wore makeup anymore, her long hours and frequent surgeries made it impractical an unnecessary. She exited the bathroom and found Michael and Alex discussing when they could get back to training. She listened for a moment and then interrupted them, "Ok, I'm not going to give my ok for you to be doing anything other than light running. Those wounds need to stay clean. You need to leave the bandages on for at least another day, I would prefer two more days. After that, I will take a look and asses where we are and let you know if you can get back to training. Now Michael, would you like to explain to me what his training would consist of?" She turned to face Michael, and raised a brow at him, her displeasure at the situation apparent.

Michael took a steadying breath. Humans didn't usually challenge his authority. And no one challenged him over Alex. Yet here was Gabriella firmly stating that they wouldn't be allowed to go back to training for at least three days, probably a week from her attitude. And though it irked him, he knew instinctively she was right. Though he had eons of knowledge, he didn't know how to do surgery like she did. He didn't know how to heal Alex like she did. He knew basics. He was more trained in warcraft, thanks to his Father and brother, Gabriel. Sighing, he remained impassive as he spoke, "Very well Gabriella. Your word is my command. His training consists of sparring with me, weapons training, decoding the tattoos, tactics and strategy, and learning how to kill angels." He saw her dark blue eyes widen at his last words and saw her throat muscles tighten. She closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them, holding his gaze, "At least a week before he can go back to weapons training. Probably a week and a half till he can do sparring." Michael was annoyed but gritted out, "Fine." From over Gabriella's shoulder Alex spoke, "Hey, don't I get a say in this!?" They spoke at the same time, "No" and grinned at each other before Michael reigned himself in and glanced away. Gabriella gathered up her things and turned to go before hesitating, "If you need assistance with training, I can help you. My father was Special Ops Marines before all of this. He trained me in hand to hand combat, and my mother was Israeli; she taught me krav maga. I also have weapons knowledge." Alex stared at her and then laughed, "A little thing like you? Yea right!" She smiled at him and before he knew what had happened, a scalpel was lodged in the wall behind his head. Her smile faded away as she glanced to Michael, "Like I said, if you want help."

Michael watched as Gabriella left the room and heard her hit the button for the elevator. He motioned for Alex to stay, "I'll be back." He followed Gabriella out to the lobby and spoke softly, his voice low. "Gabriella, I would appreciate your help with training. It is obvious you are skilled in both healing and warcraft. I thank you for the offer." He extended his hand and waited to see if she would take it. She glanced down to his hand and then up to his face, her blue eyes captivating. She grabbed his hand and shook it, both of them jumping slightly as they both felt the slight sting at the contact between their skins. Michael murmured, "Good afternoon" to her as the doors opened and she entered the elevator, rubbing her hand. The last he saw of her was her large blue eyes connecting with his, deep and fathomless like the sea.

**That Evening**

Gabriella lay in her tub, soaking in a hot bath. Even though the day had been wickedly hot, she still needed to ease her muscles, and this was the best way to do it. Besides, with concrete walls, her house stayed relatively cool. The soft scent of lavender and vanilla surrounded her, her phone playing music softly. She listened to music from before the world went to shit, and marveled at how simple it all must have been. She knew from what her parents had told her that wasn't true, but it sometimes seemed like it. She thought back to the moment at the elevator with Michael, when she had shook his hand and had once again felt the sting on her skin. She had seen the look of surprise on his face at feeling it; making her glad she wasn't the only one who could feel it. But then in the same moment she was wondering The soft scent of lavender and vanilla surrounded her, her phone playing music softly. She listened to music from before the world went to shit, and marveled at how simple it all must have been. She knew from what her parents had told her that wasn't true, but it sometimes seemed like it. She thought back to the moment at the elevator with Michael, when she had shook his hand and had once again felt the sting on her skin. She had seen the look of surprise on his face at feeling it; making her glad she wasn't the only one who could feel it. But then in the same moment she was wondering _why _could they feel this? Frustrated, she slapped the water and picked up some bubbles blowing them out of her hand, watching as they landed on her knee. She tried to relax for a little while longer but was too keyed up. Sighing, she stood and unplugged the drain. After toweling off she pulled on underwear, light cotton shorts and a tank top. She undid her braid and grabbed a bottle of beer before moving to sit outside on her miniscule back patio. She watched as the stars came out, and slowly relaxed. This was the only life she had ever known, and yet she had always yearned for something else. She sat for a long time, just thinking, until she realized she had drunk her beer and groaned, she didn't want to get up.

Suddenly there was a woosh of air and then Michael was standing in front of her. She stared at him for a moment before sighing, "Knock much?" He cocked his head, "I'm sorry?" Gabriella laughed at him; he looked so much like a puppy it was hilarious. The giggle captured her and she had to get up and walk away. Still laughing, she called over her shoulder, "You want a beer?" Michael hesitated, he often made poor decisions when drinking alcohol, but one would surely be fine. "Yes, thank you" he called back. He stood, shifting uncomfortably until she came back and handed him a cold beer, the sides sweating. She clinked her bottle against his, "Cheers" and sat down. Taking a long swig she looked up to him and grinned, "You going to stand there all night, fly boy?" He cocked his head again, "Fly boy?" She smiled at him, and motioned to the chair beside her, "Sit down and I'll tell you. You're making me nervous just standing over there." Michael moved to the chair and sat down, stretching out his long legs. "There, that's better huh?" she asked him. "I suppose. I don't tire as easily as humans so it wouldn't bother me to stand all night as you suggested." He looked over at her snort of laughter. "What?" She shook her head, taking another drink of beer, "It wasn't a suggestion, I was being sarcastic. You know, I've heard you be sarcastic before, I thought you would have gotten that one." Michael thought for a moment, "I suppose it was the inflection…and you are exceptionally hard to read for a human." She stared at him for a moment and then shrugged, "Ok." His lips barely curved into a smile as he took a long pull at his beer.

Sighing as he rested the beer on the table, "So, tell me, what is a fly boy?" Gabriella laughed, "Ok, so it's a term used to describe men in the Air Force, or what used to be the Air Force I guess. And since you're God's Air Force…Fly Boy." Michael thought about it for a moment and then smiled, "I like it." He raised his bottle and waited, she raised hers quickly and he clinked his against hers, "To flying." She nodded and drank. They sat in silence until she glanced over to him, "Soooo, why are you here Michael?" He shrugged, an elegant movement. "To get to know you better, I suppose." Gabriella nodded, "Ok, what would you like to know?" Michael thought a moment, "Why Vega? Why not go to Helena with your talents?" She smiled at him, "That's an easy one, I like men. While I'm a feminist and think they've got the right idea, I wouldn't be able to live without men." She laughed when she saw his face, still slightly impassive, but a hint of a smile on his lips. "Oh don't look like that flyboy, I've heard the rumors about you and Councilwoman Thorn. You two are the worst kept secret in Vega." He looked sharply at her and then sighed, "Well, here's a secret for you, we're done." Gabriella rested her head on her fist and stared at him, noting little sadness on his face, "Why?" He stared into the distance, "Because it was doomed from the start." Gabriella felt a shiver run through her at his words. They seemed to carry such power and foreboding.

Gabriella took a long pull on her beer, feeling the alcohol buzzing through her system. Normally it would take a lot more alcohol (so, so much more), but when she was this tired and had so little food in her system, it hit her hard. She looked over to Michael, "Will you take me flying again?" Michael looked at Gabriella and could see that the alcohol was affecting her, but her eyes were sparkling, and there was a pleading note to her voice that he just couldn't resist. He was weak when it came to human women. He stood abruptly and offered her his hand, wrapping her in his arms when she stood and took it. He took flight, holding her tight as they ascended. "Where would you like to go?" he whispered into her ear. She thought for a moment and then pointed west, toward the walls, "The cemetery please." Not what he had expected, but he adjusted course and within a few minutes they touched down in the walls of the cemetery. She stumbled out of his arms, a little unsteady. He grabbed her elbow and kept hold as she began to walk through the rows, eventually coming to a stop in front of two headstones. He knew who they were long before they had gotten there, but still, he felt sadness at seeing them. She knelt down in front of her mother and father's graves and wiped them off. She sat staring at the names on the stones, Andrew Tucker and Malia Hasan. Her mother hadn't taken her father's name apparently. She turned to face him and he saw that there were no tears on her cheeks, just a profound sadness in her eyes. She smiled sadly up at him, "Mom was a WHO doctor who met my dad in Sudan. They fell in love and got married. She kept her name, but my dad never cared. He said it was only name, and as long as he had her for the rest of his life, that was all that mattered." She sighed and turned away, her shoulders slumping, "We were 20 miles from here in this shack, four 8 balls surrounding it, trying to fight our way out and make it here. We held them off for days until my dad got a message out on a HAM radio to Vega to send help. My dad killed two before they killed him protecting mom and I. She killed another…and I…I killed the last one. Soldiers found me unconscious from my wounds and brought me back to Vega. I was barely 18. I've lived here 10 years, and I work every day to make them proud." She stood and swayed; Michael stepped closer, bracing her. She stared up into his face, "Can you tell me they're in Heaven? Can you tell me they are with God, your Father? How do I know?" Michael could see the fear and anger in her face, and felt it in his own heart. He didn't know where his Father was. He couldn't get back into Heaven, that's something no one on Earth knew. He didn't have an answer for her.

He ducked his head for a moment and then looked into her eyes, "I can't. Heaven is closed to me. God has gone, I don't know where. I fear for the angels. I fear for myself." Her eyes widened and he saw disappointment flash on her face before she stiffened her jaw, "Good to know." He felt a stab of disappointment at her reaction, but couldn't blame her. "Would you like to go back now?" He asked softly. At her nod he gathered her up and flew them back to her house. She gathered up the empty beer bottles and stood in the door for a moment. She played with the label on the bottle, peeling it away, and then looked up at Michael, wishing his expressions were a little less unreadable. "Thanks for confiding in me Michael. I'm sure that wasn't easy." He was once again surprised by this woman, at her capacity for love and forgiveness. "Thank you for hearing me." He nodded to her and spread his wings, preparing to leave, when she held out a hand stopping him, "I would like to train with you personally so I am better prepared for angel attack." Michael gave her a nod and lifted off, "Very well Gabriella, I will see you Saturday morning at the east gate at 6am." At that he took off without looking back. Gabriella sighed, of course it was early morning Saturday training…why should she get her weekends off? But who did she have to blame but her stupid self? Mentally berating herself, she shut the patio door and headed to bed. At least tomorrow was Friday, she didn't have to be into work until 7am on Fridays! Gabriella laughed softly, slightly hysterically, into her pillow. Good god, it really was the small things wasn't it? As she drifted off to sleep, Gabriella had visions of her parents, alive and happy to see her.

**Hey guys, sorry for the messy upload! I fixed the upload of this chapter so it's the appropriate length now! Thanks to guest reviewer keacdragon for pointing it out to me! Much appreciated! :) **


	3. Drive By

**:) For reviewer-Aleera GiacoRavenne-thank you for inspiring this chapter! Hope you, and everyone enjoy it! Please review my lovely readers! xoxo**

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Gabriella was awoken by her alarm the next morning at 6am. She rolled out of bed unwillingly and dressed quickly. She stood over her sink, scarfing down a breakfast wrap with eggs, salsa, and sausage in it. She gathered her lunch and midday snacks into her bag and shoved her phone into her bag, heading out for the hospital, locking her door behind her. It was a hot morning already, the humidity sweltering. As she was walking down the street she saw a group of young boys playing soccer in the street, and waved hello. As she passed them and turned down the street, a black SUV with House Whele flags on it whipped past her, and a moment later she heard the boys yelling and shouting. Assuming that the car had disrupted their game, she continued walking, until she heard a shout, "Doctor! Doctor!" Gabriella turned and saw one of the boys running up to her, "Doctor! Come! Our friend is hurt bad!" Her heart skipped and she took off running around the corner, the boy close behind her. She came to a halt when she saw the group of boys huddled around the fallen boy. It appeared to her that the SUV had struck him, causing him to fly through the air and strike the stone wall behind him. His left leg lay at an awkward angle, his breathing appeared rapid and shallow, and she could see a dent in his head that was leaking blood. "Oh goddamn….shit!" she muttered, kneeling next to the boy, inspecting his injuries. She pulled out her phone and dialed Tom, "Come on…Tom! I have a hit and run two blocks from the hospital. Yea! I need a backboard, neck brace and fluids immediately!" She hung up the phone and tore off her button down shirt using it to bind his head wound. She didn't try to move him, knowing he could have a spinal injury. She stood, dancing in place, waiting for the emergency team to arrive. Less than three minutes later they were there, taking vitals and getting the boy strapped to the backboard and securing his neck. Gabriella turned to the boys, "Does he have family?" The boy who had come to get her spoke, "Just a sister. His name is Jason Pierce." She nodded and laid a hand on his shoulder briefly, "Thank you. You guys helped save his life." She took off after the team, and arrived shortly after them, finding them working on him. Tom looked up at her, "He has a broken femur in the left leg, a shattered knee, collapsed lung, and intracranial bleeds. He needs surgery immediately." Gabriella nodded and headed toward the OR's, "I'll take the leg." Tom didn't try and stop her, she was a force of nature and there was no way to stop her.

Gabriella stood at the sink outside the OR, scrubbing her hands and forearms. She was so angry, but she would hold it together for Jason. She watched as they wheeled him into the room and put him under with sedation. She entered the room and after gowning and gloving up, slipped a mask over her face. She looked across the table to the neurosurgeon who would be taking care of Jason's head and nodded, they went to work.

**Hours Later**

Gabriella sat holding Jason's cold lifeless hand, her insides numb. The boy couldn't be more than 10, and he was dead. He had stroked out on the table. They had tried everything to save him and hadn't been able to. She looked up to the clock, it was nearly 1pm. She stood and stripped off her gown, noting with a detachment that her clothes underneath were stained with his blood. She walked sedately out of the OR, out of the Hospital, down the street and into the Senate headquarters. The guard at the door started at the sight of her, but when she flashed her ID badge, he hesitantly let her into the chambers. A low gasp and murmurs ran around the chambers at the sight of her. Consul Whele, not surprisingly was the first to rise and ask, "Doctor Hasan, I believe, what trouble brings you here?" Gabriella's head snapped up, her eyes connecting with his. Whele could have sworn he saw lighting flash in her eyes as she spoke, "You Consul Whele bring me here." She stalked closer and pointed a finger at his chest, "A boy is _dead _because of your carelessness." She saw fear flash on his face and knew she had been right about him being in the SUV. "You killed that boy that your car struck. You didn't even stop, you just left him there to die" she hissed at him. Whele took a step back, attempting to escape her anger. "I was indeed in the car when the regrettable accident occurred, but as I'm sure you're aware, I was not driving. We had an emergency here in the Senate, and that is why we were rushing. I truly regret the loss of any young life in Vega, and especially this one." Gabriella could see that he was playing to the Senate, wriggling his way out of this. She took a step back and straightened, "You had every ability to stop the car and see if the boy was alright. To get the boy into the car and take him to the Hospital. But you didn't. I thereby accuse you of negligent homicide." Gabriella heard the intake of breath from around the room and felt satisfaction. She knew it wouldn't stick, but by God these people, and all of Vega would know what kind of man Whele was. She looked around the chambers, eyeing each member making sure they saw the blood on her shirt.

General Riesen stood, "Unfortunately for you Doctor Hasan, you don't have the authority to accuse a Consul of that sort of crime. If you wish to do so, you must bring evidence to the authorities." Gabriella looked first him and then Whele full in the face, and then snorted in contempt, "Why? It would never stick." She walked up to Whele and grabbed his hand, laying Jason's bloodied picture of his parents into his hand. She stared up into Whele's face and was pleased to see his face whiten, "May God forgive you, because I cannot. You murdered that boy." She spun on her heel and before exiting the chamber, turned and gave a short bow, "I thank the Senate for its _wise_ judgment today", the words laced with poison. She exited the chambers, seething.

Michael stood like a stone statue as the Senate chambers buzzed. He had never seen Gabriella so angry. He had never seen Consul Whele so upset and afraid in public. The fact that the man hadn't stopped to help the boy, and hadn't alerted the Senate to the accident was galling, but Gabriella was right, he would never face charges. He was too slippery. Michael felt righteous anger swell in his chest, the man was despicable. He stepped down from his post and stood in front of Consul Whele and heard the room go silent. He looked at the man in disgust, "You don't deserve to represent the people of Vega. You are weak and undeserving." He turned and strode out of the room.

Gabriella went back to the Hospital, just because she was angry as a wet cat didn't mean she could leave other patients needing care to be neglected. She went to work after changing her clothes, completely engrossed. Eventually Tom came to her at 11pm and sent her home. She walked through the streets of Vega and saw that they were quiet and deserted. Word of the accident had clearly spread through the streets. Gabriella sighed deeply as she entered her house, and let out a yelp at the dark figure sitting at her kitchen table. She lunged across the kitchen to the freezer, grabbing her gun and pointed it at the figure, which was strangely still sitting. "I understand you are upset after today, but do refrain from shooting me please, Gabriella", Michael's deep voice pierced her fear. She lowered her gun slowly, and set it on the counter. She ran a hand over her face, closing her eyes. She opened her eyes after a minute and walked over to the table and sat across from him. She sighed deeply, today had been a shitstorm of horrible. Michael said nothing for a moment and then rose, crossing to the fridge, and came back with an open bottle of beer. Handing it to her as he sat, she gave him a small smile of thanks. Gabriella took a small sip, not really having the energy to drink. She just wanted to take a hot shower, crawl into bed and never get out. Michael could feel Gabriella's despair, as though it was a real, physical, tangible thing. "You should be more careful about the threats you make against Consul Whele" he spoke softly. Her eyes cut to his, her mouth tight with anger. She shook her head, "Really? I think he should be more careful when he's out driving so he doesn't murder more children. Just because he's a Consul doesn't mean he's absent of responsibility. In fact he's more responsible for the people of Vega." "I understand. You are right, but he still wields power and can make your life in Vega incredibly difficult. Please be careful." Michael rose and stood staring at her for a long moment, "I would hate to see anything happen to you." As he strode towards the door, Gabriella had a flash of memory, "Wait! Did you still want to train tomorrow morning?" He turned partially, "Did you?" She shrugged, "What else am I going to do? Watch more kids die?" To her surprise, she saw Michael flinch at her words. Gabriella sighed, "I'm sorry. Yes, I'll be there. East gate at 6am, right?" Michael nodded and then exited her house, shutting the door softly behind him. Gabriella sat at her table for a long time after he left, sipping on her beer, thinking of the boy, Jason who had never woken up. She eventually stood and went to shower, standing under the hot water, trying to let the hot water scald away the pain of the day. She shut off the water after she could no longer feel her skin and changed into her pajamas. After climbing into bed, Gabriella curled around her extra pillow, crying softly, mourning the loss Jason. Eventually, exhausted, she fell asleep, her pillow wet with her tears.

Michael leaned against the wall outside Gabriella's bedroom, listening to her cry herself to sleep. He fought himself; he couldn't go in there and comfort her. He was already too involved with her, and knew he shouldn't have said anything about worrying if something happened to her. He moved away from the wall and took off into the night sky, heading towards his tower. He stripped off his jacket and threw it onto the chaise, whirling when he heard movement in the room. His eyes focused on Becca, lying on his bed, naked, save for a sheet. He sighed, "Good evening Consul Thorn. Is there something I can help you with?" She gave him a seductive smile and held out a hand, "There is, actually. I have this itch that you are just so _good _at scratching." Moving away from her hand he pointed to the door, "Please leave Becca. I told you this was over." He watched as anger marred her beautiful face. She rose from the bed and moved across the room to stand in front of him, "How dare you! Do you know how many men would give anything to spend a night to be with me? I thought you loved me?!" Her voice rose to a shriek. Michael stared down at her impassively as she yelled at him. He stepped away and gathered up her clothes, handing them to her silently. She glared at him for a moment before snatching them and dressing quickly. She marched up to him and slapped him across the face, "You will regret this, _angel_" she spat the last word. Michael watched as she sauntered out of the room, and sighed when she was gone. –_That was…awful_-he thought to himself. He flopped down onto his bad and lay staring up at the fresco on the ceiling; he missed his brethren. He even missed Gabriel. He thought he understood how Gabriella felt, alone and without family, orphaned. Despite knowing that he needed to be careful with her, he was anxious, excited even, to see her tomorrow morning. "Stupid flyboy" he whispered to himself.


	4. Pinned

**Hey you awesome readers! So that last chapter from today? LOL I totally wrote it at work! I had this hit of inspiration on the metro and got it typed up, and then was like, well, better get this up! So here's some more for you lovely folks! Please review! xoxo**

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Michael rose early the next day and stood on the balcony of his tower, watching the sun rise until finally, it was time to meet Gabriella at the East Gate. He flew there quickly and was pleased to see the truck he had ordered was supplied and waiting. Very few people in Vega refused him when he gave an order. He leaned against the truck and waited for Gabriella to show up. He didn't have to wait long. Soon enough he saw her walking up to him, large sunglasses covering her eyes. She looked lovely in a lavender tank top and black leggings, grey and purple sneakers on her feet. Her long silky black hair was pulled into a high ponytail, bouncing as she walked. She came to a halt in front of him and crossed her arms, casting a glance over the truck. Sighing, she pointed to the truck, "I take it this means we are going outside the walls?" Michael nodded, "Indeed. Are you ready?" She nodded and walked around the truck, climbing in and yelled, "You coming flyboy? We don't have all day for me to kick your ass!" Michael surprised them both by snorting with laughter before climbing into the truck and starting it up. The gate in front of them opened and they were on their way. Michael drove at a steady pace, one hand on the wheel, the other resting out the open window.

Gabriella had placed her feet up on the dash and was humming softly watching as the desert scrub land passed by. They eventually turned down a side road and came to a stop in front a worn white house with a tall fence surrounding the back yard. Gabriella exited the truck, glancing around at the abandoned play set, the worn fence and the sand covered windows. It was all so sad and lonely. Hearing Michael opening the bed of the truck she walked back to investigate and was surprised to see him taking out guns, knives, targets, and what looked like…."Swords?" she exclaimed. Michael looked up at her exclamation, "Yes, you need to know how to use any weapon that may be in reach." She stared at him for a minute and then laughed, "Ok flyboy, whatever you say." She grabbed the bag of guns and asked, "Where are we practicing?" Michael pointed, "The backyard." Nodding, she took off, entering the house cautiously, moving through it until she came to the backyard. She began unpacking the bag on the patio table; Michael had brought a 9mm, 12 gauge shotgun, AK47, and a number of other small handguns. Impressed, she handled the 9mm, checking the safety and to see if it was loaded; it was. She stood in the stance her father had taught her and aimed at the knot of wood in one panel of the fence near the top. Taking a steady breath, she slowly pulled the trigger, her arm absorbing the kickback of the gun. She lowered the gun and flicked on the safety before walking to check her shot. She smiled when she approached the fence and saw that she had shot cleanly through the knot, creating a hole. "Nice shooting Doc" she heard Michael say, his smooth voice carrying. She turned and smiled at him, "Thanks. My dad taught me how to use most of those guns, so I probably won't need more than an hour of practice to feel comfortable with them again." She walked back up to him and held out the 9mm, "But you're the teacher here, so you tell me what we're going to do today boss." Michael raised an eyebrow, "Very well. I would prefer to test your hand to hand skills, and then give you a weapon and have you attack me as you think best. You need to learn how to fight an angel. Guns won't always be available." Gabriella nodded slowly, "Ok. Let's do it." She moved out into the open area of the yard and began stretching, watching Michael out of the corner of her eye as he stripped off his long jacket and threw it onto the patio table. Without it she could see he was wearing dark linen pants and a dark cotton tshirt that only served to emphasize his musculature. For a thin man, he was quite fit…_and he's an angel, so he's probably a lot stronger than he looks_- she thought to herself. She turned to face him as he approached her. She waited just a moment, and then moved into action, flying a foot out to kick him in the knee, and when he spun away from her kick and came in close to attack, she threw her elbow, hard at his face, grinning when she felt it connect with his cheekbone. Her grin vanished as he pummeled her ribcage with rapid-fire punches, knocking the wind out of her, and throwing her off balance. She used the push to whirl around and place a punch to his kidney, and a kick to the back of his knee, moving away rapidly as he rolled, his wings popping out. He lunged at her and they grappled until he had her in a headlock, and then she felt the earth drop away as he rose into the ground. She felt his breath coming rapidly against her neck as he spoke, "In this case, I would drop an opponent and break as many bones as possible." He dropped till they were only five feet above the ground and released her, watching as she tucked and rolled. He alighted and stood in front of her, a few feet away. He nodded, "Again." Grinning, Gabriella circled slowly, this time she knew his skills better.

After another two rounds of hand to hand, Michael called for a break. Gabriella had bloodied his lip and opened a small cut on his right cheek, and had bruised his ribcage pretty well if he was being honest. She had a blackening left eye, a sore right knee and a split lip as well, but was smiling despite the pain. They sat at the small patio table, sipping on water, sweating in the mid morning heat. Gabriella leaned over and poured some water on her face, wiping it off with the bottom of her shirt. Michael tried to look away from her bare stomach, and was that a tattoo?...but he failed…miserably. Gabriella stood and swallowed down more water before looking over the weapons and asking, "So we going to practice fighting with these now? I kinda want to practice with a sword!" Michael stared at her for minute and then shook his head, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Let's go then." He stood and grabbed the sword he preferred and let her choose her own. They moved out onto the dying grass and he stood next to her, showing her how to parry and thrust properly. They walked through the movements for awhile and then finally Michael moved to stand across from her and they began to slowly work through the steps of fighting. After awhile Michael called a halt and suggested they do one more hand to hand with knives. Gabriella nodded her assent and they each chose a small knife, though Gabriella could see that Michael had brought practice knives, dulled to prevent harm.

Michael lunged first, and was surprised when Gabriella grabbed his arm, turned her back into his chest and wrenched his arm down, and twisted his wrist to a painful angle, forcing him to drop the knife. At the same time she whipped her head back, connecting with his, and swept her foot low, wiping his feet out from under him. In a second she was on top of him, her knife at his throat. She grinned down at him, "Nice try Michael, but mom taught me that move when I was 10." He stared up at her; frankly amazed she had gotten the drop on him, but remembered she had told him her mom had taught her krav maga. Shame on him for not paying more attention. "Very good Gabriella. But to kill an angel with a knife, you need to stab here," he took the knife from his throat and placed it at his heart, "Not the throat." She stared down at him for a long moment and then nodded, solemn. She sat back, still on top of him, and removed the knife, "So is that it for today? Or did you want to do some gun practice?" Michael was trying to focus on her words, but it was hard when she continued to sit on top of him, her muscular body pressed so delightfully against his….right, weapons training! "Well, if you continue to sit on me, then we can't do anything. But I do believe we should get back to Vega. We can leave the weapons for another day." He took delight in watching her become embarrassed as she realized she was indeed still sitting on him. She stood up so fast he thought she would fall over. "Sorry! Need a hand?" she offered her hand out to him, and though he didn't need it, he took it anyway, allowing himself the small pleasure of touching her. Not that they hadn't been touching before, but it hadn't exactly been…pleasurable? He stood with her assistance and quickly dropped her hand, brushing himself off. They gathered up the various weapons and loaded the truck back up. Michael handed her an apple and a sandwich he had packed for her, and pulled out his own, sitting on the tailgate of the truck, eating in companionable silence.

Gabriella looked out at the abandoned yard and then over to Michael, "So, do you miss the way the world used to be?" He tilted his head and thought, "I don't think so. Humanity was constantly at war with itself, my Father was disappointed and ready to destroy you, and I never was able to be close to humanity." He looked at her as he said the last part, and then continued, "Your kind was the recipient of all of God's love, and so I love you. But humanity trampled on that gift, questioned it, and wished it away. Now that things have changed, He is gone, and unable to see that humanity is trying to be what he hoped it could be." He sighed deeply, and Gabriella could see sadness in his face. Moved, she laid a hand on his arm, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry we disappointed Him. But He disappointed us, as parents tend to do. That doesn't mean that you destroy your children. You show them a better path to walk, show them love, and let them know you are always there to help. He didn't just leave you, He left us." Michael stared at her, incredulous. Every time he thought he knew every facet of the human heart and mind, she said something or did something that blew it all away. Unconsciously, his hand rose and came to rest on her cheek, "Father did great work on your heart. It is a blessing to know you." He watched as her eyes widened and shock, fear, and happiness moved over her face. He removed his hand and tucked it back into his lap. She ducked her head and cleared her throat, "Uh, well…thank you. I didn't really believe in God, or Heaven, even growing up with angels being the enemy. It was all too much. After my parents died, I had to have at least the tiniest sliver of hope that there was some place for them to go, that I could go someday. Otherwise, fighting for this world? It's fucking pointless." She shook her head and climbed down from the tailgate, "Come on, we need to get back, I'll drive this time." Michael raised a brow, "You know how to drive?" She grinned, "Oh come now Michael, surely you aren't afraid?" He actually laughed at that and tossed her the keys, slamming the tailgate shut. She climbed into the truck, slid on her sunglasses, and tugged her hair down out of her ponytail. As they raced away from the house, Michael covered his mouth with a hand, covering a smile. She was leaning half out the window as she drove, her long black hair whipping around her face, and God above, she was gorgeous.

Five miles from Vega Michael sat up, alert, there was a figure in the sky. "Shit" he muttered. Gabriella craned her head and saw the figure descending rapidly. "Yup" she said, pressing harder on the accelerator, coaxing the truck towards 95mph. Michael grabbed hold of the "oh shit" handle and leaned out the window, tracking the figure. It was gaining on them, fast. He leaned back in, "Can you get us there any faster?" She grinned, "Yes sir" and pushed the truck harder, reaching nearly 110mph. The wheel began to shudder in her hands and there was a faint whining noise coming from under the hood, but they were coming rapidly on the walls of Vega. The guns on the turrets focused on the figure and began to fire. As they approached the East gate Michael radioed and the gate swung open, and then slammed shut behind them. They heard the guns firing again, and saw the figure fall from the sky in the distance. Michael hopped from the truck, "Wait here, I need to make sure it's been taken care of." Gabriella nodded and sat in the truck, listening to the ticking and thrumming noises as it calmed down. Nearly ten minutes later Michael landed beside the truck and climbed partly back in, "It's taken care of. You can turn it off." Gabriella did as she was told and exited the truck. She and Michael gathered up the weapons and left the truck at the gate; Gabriella assumed Michael had made arrangements for it.

She followed Michael back to his tower and up to his quarters where she gratefully dropped the heavy bag. She noticed that Michael had winced when he leaned down, and she knew she had injured his ribs more than he had let on. She walked up to him and waved a hand at his shirt, "Take it off, I need to look at your ribs, and I need to clean up your face." He gave her a disgruntled look, shaking his head no, but she had already turned and walked into his bathroom; he heard the water running, and then a moment later she was back, wet washcloth in hand. She gave him an exasperated look, "Take it off, or I will pin you down and take it off for you!" He let out a strangled noise and whipped off his shirt, tossing it on the floor, "Happy?" She smiled at him sweetly, "Yes! Thank you." She bent to examine his ribs, her hands cool and damp and a shiver ran over his skin. "Sorry" she murmured, "Did that hurt?" He cleared his throat before speaking, "Uh no, nope." Nodding, she continued her perusal, poking and pressing, assessing when he hissed between his teeth. Straightening, she smiled, "Ok, no broken bones! Just some bruising. So take some painkillers, ice it for 30 minutes, and then heat for 30 minutes." Michael nodded, "Thank you" he started to turn and walk away, but was stopped by her hand on his arm, pushing him to sit on the chaise lounge chair. Surprised, he let himself be pushed down. She knelt in front of him, and raised the wet washcloth to his face, gently brushing off the dried blood and dirt. She inspected his cut lip and the cut on his eyebrow, "They shouldn't need stitches, but if they keep opening and bleeding I can do it for you." She smiled up at him and wiped off his cheek where there was another cut, whispering, "Sorry!" when he inadvertently flinched. Standing, she went back to the bathroom and rinsed the cloth, leaving it on the counter. She saw the antibiotic cream she had left for Alex and grabbed the tube, heading back out to Michael. She smiled at him, "Almost done, I promise. Thank you for being a good patient." Michael leaned back on his arms, and some part of Gabriella noted what a fine physique he had, before she told that part to shut up and moved closer to apply the cream, leaning down to smudge it onto his face. "No problem Doc. You already kicked my ass once today; I don't wish to make your job harder than it has to be." She smirked at him, "Oh pinning you down wouldn't be hard on me." They both went still at her words, Gabriella realizing the implication of them. "I-uh…never mind. You're all good." She muttered. She made a hasty exit and stood waiting for the elevator, praying that Michael wouldn't pursue her, but apparently no one was listening. He appeared behind her, "I will have Alex come here tomorrow and you can check his wounds then?" She nodded and smiled, "Sure sounds good, what time?" He tilted his head, thinking, "Why don't you come around dinner time, say 5:30pm and we can dine together, the three of us?" Gabriella agreed, "Ok, I'll be here." The doors slid open and she entered the elevator, giving a small wave goodbye to Michael before they shut.

Michael went back to his room and stood on the balcony, enjoying the breezes. Her comment about pinning him down had clearly just slipped out, but eventually her brain had caught up and he had taken delight in the blush that had spread across her cheeks. To say he hadn't begun to think of her, blushing for other reasons, long limbs spread across his bed….damn…it would be a lie. Sighing, he hung his head. He was weak. Undeserving of his Father's love. Undeserving of Gabriella. He could tell she was an amazing woman, capable of great things, and his destiny was to help Alex save humanity. To die for them if necessary. He would never be able to give her the love she deserved. It was not his fate to love her. Better to forget it.


	5. Falling

**Hey guys...so I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the good news that I am going to make this a long, long fic! I decided today that there is a story that needs to be told, and rushing it would make the story crap, so yea, it's going to be long! I have at least two more chapters planned out, so as I get a chance to write I will upload! As always, thank you so much for your awesome reviews! Please continue so I know what you do/don't like! Thank you my dears! xoxo **

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Gabriella slept in till a sinful 8am on Sunday, rising and dressing after a quick shower. She was going to work in the clinic until three today, and then have dinner with Alex and Michael. Who would have thought that she, a regular person in Vega would be hanging out with the Chosen One and an Archangel? Laughing softly to herself she walked down the street and into the clinic, not surprised to see that the waiting area was already full of people. Once a week she volunteered her services here for the people who were too poor to go to the hospital. After finishing up a few minutes of paperwork, her day of patients began with an old man who had fallen and smacked his head. She reassured him that her services were free, and that there would be no charges for anything. She stitched up his head wound and returned his shaky hug, smiling. This was the best day of her week. Her last patient of the day was a young woman, 24 years old and about 22 weeks pregnant. The girl said the father couldn't be there, but Gabriella suspected that he wouldn't ever be there. They chatted about the girl's hopes for the baby, what names she had picked out for it, and her job as a nanny. Surprisingly, the girl's bosses had agreed to let her continue working after she had the baby, and bring it with her. After giving her and the baby a clean bill of health Gabriella left the clinic at 3:15pm. She was only a little late, but she was quick about getting around usually, so she wasn't worried.

After entering her house, she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower, wanting a hot shower after her long day. She walked into her bedroom and stripped off her clothes and tossed them into the laundry basket, noting that it was getting full. "ugh..laundry" she muttered. She walked back into the bathroom and ran a hand under the water, pleased that it had heated so quickly. She stepped in and washed quickly, scrubbing her hair clean from the sweat and dust of the day. She decided to shave her legs, it had been a few days and they were getting itchy. After finishing, she shut off the water and grabbed her towel, wrapping her hair and pilling it on top of her head. She wound the other towel around her body and walked back into her bedroom, coming to a halt in front of her closet. _What does one wear when dining with the Chosen One and an Archangel?-_she wondered to herself. She didn't have many special occasion outfits, and wasn't sure if this qualified as one. She finally pulled out a v-neck, empire waist royal blue silk dress that she had bought years ago, and had promptly never worn. She pulled the tags off and decided now was the time. She pulled on her underwear and went to dry her hair-_no sense in sweating up the dress -_she thought. After she had blown her hair out, she checked the time, 4:35pm! She swore and ran back to her room, plopping down in front of her vanity to do her makeup. She used a light concealing powder on her face, mascara and then applied bronze and eggplant shadow to her eyes, highlighting the brow bone with a light gold color. She grinned at her reflection; she hardly ever wore makeup, but her mom had taught her how to apply it before she died "just in case". She stood and went to her dresser, pulling out the bottle of perfume that had been her mothers and spritzed some on her wrists, her chest and behind her ears. She slid into her dress and zipped it up, feeling satisfied when she looked at her reflection, until she realized she still needed shoes…dumbass! She ransacked her closet and finally came up with a pair of caramel colored wedges that had ribbons to tie around the ankle. Going to her jewelry box she slid a gold cuff on her wrist, a gold necklace with a drop of amethyst wrapped in gold wire, and matching earrings. She admired the final product, "Dressy, but not too dressy" she said to herself. Looking to the clock she hissed when she saw it was now 5:05. Where had the time gone? She stopped before leaving her room; did she need to bring supplies to change Alex's bandages? It had seemed like Michael still had some the last time she was there. She grabbed her large satchel and checked to see what she had stored there from the clinic. Bandages, scissors, and some tape. That should be good. As she looked at the bag, she had a girl moment and hated the way it looked with her outfit. She once again ran to her closet and pulled out a smaller black handbag, stuffing her medical supplies along with her keys and ID badge in it. Satisfied, she ran out of the house, letting out a "eeck!" when she saw that it was now 5:15. She needed to get to Michaels fast.

Gabriella arrived at Michael's tower at 5:25, according to her phone and was told by the guard to turn right out of the elevator when she reached the top. Considering she hadn't ever gone that way when she exited the elevator, or looked to see what there was to the right, she was intrigued. After the doors opened she turned right and saw a solid wood door, partially open, through which she could hear Michael and Alex talking and laughing. She pushed the door open and was greeted by a shout of "Doc!" from Alex, who held a glass of wine, and a smile from Michael. She smiled and laughed at Alex, and then let out a little "oof!" as he enveloped her in a tight hug. She laughed, patting his back until he stepped away and placed his hand on her elbow, guiding her to the table. She smiled at him as she sat next to him, "I take it this means your wounds are feeling better?" He nodded, "Would you like to check them now?" She nodded, "If you wouldn't mind, and then we can enjoy our evening together." He stood for her and unbuttoned his shirt, leaving it on. She stood and pulled the bandage off, noting that there was no redness, and so no infection. The wounds were already starting to scab over, which was wonderful. She smiled up at him, "This is great! You can leave the bandages off now. I would suggest washing gently and treating them with more antibiotic cream after, but they look great." Alex smiled proudly, "I've been changing the bandages at night and giving them some air." She laughed, "You're smart, that has really helped." Alex buttoned back up and they sat down. Michael held up the wine bottle, "Would you care for a glass?" Gabriella nodded and held up her glass, holding up a finger to stop him from pouring too much. They sat drinking for a while, talking and laughing. She and Alex discovered they loved the same beer and both preferred 9mm handguns for close combat. _Ahh the little things!-_she thought to herself with a small smile. Eventually dinner was served and they all dug into it with relish. After they had finished dinner and sat chatting awhile longer Alex stood and excused himself, "I have a meeting with someone special" he said with a wink. Gabriella waved goodbye and Michael nodded. She turned to Michael, "So who is the someone special?" He looked at her incredulously, "Really?" she shook her head no, and he laughed softly, "It's Claire Riesen." Gabriella sat for a moment, processing, then, "Huh, well I guess it makes sense. Whatever." She sipped on her wine, enjoying the buzzy feeling under her skin. She so rarely drank wine, it was more expensive and therefore out of her tiny budget.

Michael had been stunned by Gabriella when she had entered the room at the start of the evening, her long black hair flowing around her face, the tips of it teasing at the tops of her breasts, swelling in the V of her dress. She looked so stunning in the color, her eyes seeming to be brighter and deeper at the same time. When he had seen her shoes, the bows, he had swallowed, imagining taking them off of her, along with everything else. Now, as he watched her sip her wine, he could see the alcohol putting a glow in her cheeks and eyes. She was lovely. "Is Alex able to go back to training now?" he asked, hoping to move his thoughts away from dangerous territory. She nodded and ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back, "I don't see why not, in maybe another two days. He can start doing firearms training and some weight lifting now. I just want the scar tissue to start to build." Michael nodded his assent, and filled his own wine glass, feeling little, even after many glasses.

Gabriella stood, momentarily unsteady and then smiled at him, "Do you mind if I go out on your balcony? It's such a nice evening. I thought it would be nice to watch the stars come out and feel the breeze." Michael stood and came around the table, offering her his arm. She laughed, "Such a gallant flyboy!" and took his arm; the two of them walking back into his bedchamber and out onto the balcony. Michael held up a finger, "Wait here a moment." He came back a minute later with the chaise lounge and drug it out for them to sit on. Gabriella sat gratefully and leaned her head against the back, staring up at the night sky. Michael sat next to her, worried he was sitting too close, but she hardly seemed to notice. He followed her suit and stared up at the sky. After a few minutes of silence she turned and stared at him, "Does it look different from up there? The stars I mean." He nodded, "It's so much vaster. You can see it all. Every galaxy, every world is there, laid out beneath you like the most beautiful carpet." She stared at him in wonder; she could only imagine such glory. She stood and moved to the railing and looked down, and then back to him. "If I jumped off of here, would you be able to catch me?" Michael stood and moved to her side, wrapping a hand around her wrist, "Why would you want to kill yourself?!" She shook her head, "No, I don't want to do that. I want to feel what you feel when you fly. It's different when you're a…passenger. I want to feel the wind rushing past me." Michael stared at her, not really understanding her impulse. She sighed frustrated, "How would you feel if you lost your wings?" He flinched, remembering when he had cut his own wings off in the beginning of all of this, and then regained them. "I did lose my wings for a period of time. It was…horrible. To be stuck like that. To envy every flying creature." She nodded, "Now do you understand?" Michael sighed and nodded. He held out a hand, "If you wish to try it, I will catch you." She smiled excitedly up at him and then bent to remove her shoes, tossing them over by the chaise. She climbed the railing, and felt Michael's hand steadying her. She stood for a moment and then looked back at him, grinned ecstatically, and leapt from the railing. She screamed, and then laughed as the air whooshed past her, her hair and dress flapping in the wind. She spread her arms, pretending they were wings, and closed her eyes, enjoying the fall. After a moment, she felt warm arms surround her and felt her descent slow. The steady beat of Michael's wings continued as she opened her eyes; they were ascending back to the balcony. As they came to rest on the balcony Gabriella turned in Michael's arms and leaned up, brushing a kiss against his cheek, "Thanks for the catch Michael." As she pulled away she saw his eyes flick to her lips, and he leaned in infinitesimally closer-_holy crap! Is he going to kiss me? What?!-_she was screaming in her mind. Suddenly, he pulled away and walked away, reappearing moments later with her purse. "I don't wish to keep you too late Gabriella. I know you begin work early tomorrow, and have had a long day today. Thank you for your company tonight." She stared at him for a minute and then chalked up the almost kiss moment to too much alcohol on both their parts. She sat on the chaise and quickly strapped her shoes back on, and then stood, grabbing her purse from Michael. "Thank you for the lovely food and company. I suppose I'll see you around." She walked to the elevator, and this time, he didn't follow.

Michael stood on the balcony, berating himself for allowing himself to get that close to kissing her. He knew better! Yet with her standing in his arms, her musky perfume scent swirling around him, and her soft body pressed against his, he had wanted nothing more than to kiss her so thoroughly she saw the stars he had described. He needed to focus on training her and Alex to survive this world. He needed to train Alex to help him save humanity. He needed to focus on anything other than thoughts of Gabriella. Making a noise of frustration, he stripped off his clothes and headed to the shower. He stood under the hot water and tried to scrub away her scent, but it filled his nose, driving him crazy. He imagined what her skin tasted like where she had sprayed the scent, in the soft spot behind her ear. He had accidentally brushed a hand against her breast when he had caught her, and had been thinking of how her full breasts would look filling his hands, or bouncing as she sat astride him, moaning his name. "FUCK!" He moaned, and pounded on the shower wall. He finally gave in to his weaker self and began to pull on his dick, imagining it was her hand, his breathing growing labored as he moved faster, until finally he came with a groan of her name. He leaned against the shower wall, overcome with emotion. He had never felt this way about Becca, and he knew it was dangerous for Gabriella that he harbored these emotions for her. He shut off the shower and toweled off, climbing into bed naked. Michael lay for a long time, wondering if there was any way to not want Gabriella, to change his feelings for her. Probably not, he decided, he was probably just screwed. It would be best if he kept it to himself and ensured her and Alex's protection. There could be no more to their friendship than that; friendship.

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**Ooooh I'm sorry did you think there would be some action?! HAHAHAH nope! :) I know, twisty and evil of me, but I will say that it's going to be pretty one sided for awhile. So get used to some angsty Michael. Hope you enjoyed! **


	6. Friends!

**Hey all! I hope you enjoy another mid-work day upload! LOL Love you all for the awesome reviews! Things gonna get twisty! HEHEHEHEHE! Enjoy and review! xoxo**

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The week began once again, with Monday and Tuesday flying by for Gabriella. She was hoping that weekend she would be able to train with Michael and Alex and have a nice escape from the sometimes suffocating walls of Vega. On Wednesday during her shift at the hospital, in the middle of a surgery she and the other doctors and nurses looked up in concern when the air raid sirens sounded. The nurses shifted, scared, and Gabriella gave them a stern look, "We have a patient on this table that needs our help. Pay attention to him." The nurses nodded and they all went back to work, concentrating on their patient, even as the sirens wailed for another 20 minutes. After finishing the surgery, Gabriella went up to the ER to help stem the tide of people who would be coming in, more frightened than hurt. But what she saw in the waiting area scared her; there were at least 10 people with severe injuries and a dozen more that were injured less severely, but still in need of attention. She was immediately drawn to a group of four people, two men, a young woman and a small female child, unconscious, being held by the woman.

Gabriella knelt down beside the woman and smiled gently at her, "Can you come with me? What's your name?"

The woman stood swaying as she steadied herself under the weight of the little girl, "I'm Gina. This is Tonya, please help her!"

Gabriella gave her a reassuring smile and held her hand out, "Come this way and I'll do my very best."

Both men stepped forward and she held up a hand to stop them, "Is either of you the father?"

The younger of the men, shorter and with sandy blonde hair and concerned eyes raised his hand, "Me. I'm her father, that's my wife. This is my brother."

The brother spoke up, "I'm also a doctor." Gabriella turned to him, "Really? What kind of injury did your niece sustain? What method of treatment would you recommend?"

He stared at her for a moment and then shook his head, "We were outside the walls trying to gain access, being chased by two 8balls. Our car was flipped over by one of them and though she was strapped in, she was still concussed, and has a fracture to her right ulna. I would suggest xrays for her arm and her head, as well as a CAT scan to check for internal injuries from the seatbelt."

Gabriella nodded, all what she would do. She held out a hand, "Doctor Gabriella Hasan, welcome to Vega. If you would like to follow me, I could use your assistance." He nodded and the four of them headed to an exam room where Gabriella examined Tonya's head and saw there was a very small fracture. She sent her for Xrays and a CAT scan and told her parents they would have to stay in the waiting area.

She grabbed the uncle's arm and held him back, "I didn't catch your name." He gave her the smallest of smiles and shook the hand she offered once again, "My name is Doctor Benjamin Wright. I'm a general surgeon." Gabriella almost started crying she was so happy, placing a hand over her mouth to bottle in the excitement. After a moment she was able to contain herself, "Ok, wow. Can you start helping us right now? Start triaging out there with me and getting people to surgery who need it." Ben nodded, "I can definitely do that." She placed a hand on his arm and smiled up at him before they headed out to the ER to try and help as many people as they could.

At the end of her shift at 8pm, Gabriella found Ben at the bedside of his niece. She lay a hand on his arm, "Hey, may I borrow you for a few minutes?" He nodded and bent to press a kiss to Tonya's head before waving goodbye to his family. She smiled tiredly up at him, "How's she doing?" He smiled back, hope in his chocolate colored eyes, "She's going to be ok. No internal bleeding, her arm has been set, and they are just waiting on her to wake up from her sedation." Nodding Gabriella knew that this was one of the better stories from today. She led him to a boardroom, and invited him to sit next to her, noticing as he sat how tall he was. Tom and three other members of the board came in and sat across from them. Gabriella rapidly explained how she had met Ben and his family. She then proposed to the Board that he be hired immediately. Ben looked at her surprised, and was equally surprised when the board voted unanimously to hire him starting immediately. After the board and Tom had left the room Gabriella turned to him and grinned, "Welcome to the team!" He laughed, "Is that always how it's done?" She shook her head, "It's been years since we got a new doctor. Most people in Vega can't get a good enough education for us to get more that nurses, which we do need, but we need doctors and surgeons. I'm not a trained surgeon, but I've taken classes and shadowed enough that they trust me to do basic surgeries." He nodded, "In the small community we were in I was a doctor, surgeon, midwife and healer. You use what you have." He grinned at her, and Gabriella noticed that his smile was large, warm and inviting, making her heart race just slightly. She stood, "Would you like to have dinner at my place? I'm sure your family will be staying with their little girl tonight, and you can come back and sleep in one of the on call rooms, but I could use a good meal, how about you?" He nodded and stood to join her.

After they had gathered their things they went back to her house where Gabriella was able to whip up a quick dinner of chicken and rice with sautéed vegetables. They sat at the dinner table, exchanging life stories, chatting and laughing, letting the stress of the day fade away. Gabriella found herself opening up to Ben, flirting on and off, and really enjoying it. He was tall, at least six foot two, with a strong muscular build that had her imagining what it would be like to be in his embrace. His sandy blonde hair was just a touch too long, brushing across his forehead like a surfer she had seen in old pictures. Suddenly there was a knock at the front door and Gabriella excused herself to answer it, laughing as Ben made a joke about her being able to tell who it was by looking out the dining area, window, duck and cover. She shushed him and laughed, opening the door to Michael. She smiled, "Hey, what's up?" He took a step over the threshold and froze when he saw Ben. His eyes flickered from her to Ben like lightening, and then he gave her a frozen smile, "Nothing. I apologize for interrupting. If you have a moment later, please come by the tower so we may discuss Alex." He left quickly without saying goodbye. Shrugging at his oddness, she shut the door and sat back down across from Ben, who looked intrigued, "Isn't that Michael, the archangel?" She nodded and he asked, "Why is the archangel of Vega coming to visit you?" She laughed, "Oh you know, once you've stitched him up a few times, he won't leave you alone either." They laughed and sat talking for a while longer, until Ben realizes that he needs to get to the hospital for the evening. Gabriella grabbed her bag, "I'll walk with you since I need to go see Michael." They parted ways at the corner, and before leaving her Ben leaned down and brushed a kiss across her cheek. "Night Gabriella" he spoke softly, smiling at her as he walked away. She waved goodbye and then turned the corner, walking to Michael's tower, her steps light, she could hardly believe she had just met Ben and already liked him so much. When she arrived at the top floor she can see Michael waiting for her in the dining area from the previous night. She smiled at him and stood behind a chair, leaning against it casually. His eyes flashed to hers and she could see that he was upset, but about what, she wasn't sure.

"Can Alex begin his training again or not?" He asked in a clipped tone. Gabriella leaned back, tensing. She didn't know why he was being so snippy with her, but she didn't like it. "Yea, I thought I told you that. He can start training again this weekend." She stared at him for a long moment, not breaking eye contact and then shook her head, "Did I do something to upset you?" He gave a sharp shake of his head, "No." "Okay, well then can I still participate in training with you guys?" Michael hesitated, and in that moment Gabriella knew there was something wrong, something he wasn't telling her. "Yes, please join us on Saturday morning. East gate." Gabriella stared at him for a moment and then shook her head, "Fine, thank you" before stalking towards the door. She stopped and spun back to face him, "You know what friends do when they have a problem? They fucking talk about it. They don't freeze each other out. I guess you have to be human to get that." She stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

Michael watched as Gabriella left, her anger a palpable thing. He had been so angry himself when he had seen that man sitting in her kitchen, had seen her lighting up at his words and presence. He was a fool if he thought she didn't like him, this new doctor; Ben. He laughed bitterly to himself, he, an angel, jealous of a simple human. But then he was lusting and falling for a human….He punched the table, causing the solid wood table to crack and splinter. The pain was momentary, and nothing compared to his internal battle. He grabbed the bottle of whiskey off the bar and went through to his bedchambers and sat on the chaise, still on the balcony from the night before, and decided to get rip roaring drunk. Gabriella was right, he was a terrible friend.


	7. Tension

**Oh man, I must like you guys to be updating twice in a day! lol I love you guys actually, and I am so happy that you are all enjoying the story so much! Who is excited for the new episode tonight?! *me! me! me!* oh, except I don't have a tv, so I can't watch it till tomorrow! GAHHH! So my outlet for deprivation frustration- updating! Also songs that inspired the last two chapters and this chapter are *Addicted to you-Avicci, Rather Be-Clean Bandit, and Empire-Shakira* check em out! They are good songs to write to, at least for me! Ok, enough rambling! Hope you enjoy! Please review! xoxo**

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Saturday morning rolled around and Gabriella briefly considered not going to training. She was still upset with Michael for freezing her out for no apparent reason. She hadn't seen him the rest of the week and had made no attempts to go see him. He was a grown man, angel, person…he could walk or fly and come talk to her if he wanted to, and he clearly hadn't wanted to. She and Ben had spent more time together, working in the hospital together for long hours, and then taking him and his family to get housing. He had decided that he would rather live by himself and give his brother and sister-in-law some privacy and a chance at a normal life. He had found a small house about a mile from Gabriella's place, and it was only two blocks down from his family. She had spent a good chunk of the evening at his place last night, having dinner and just sitting and talking. She was pleased to find that Ben had a sharp mind and had read as many books as he could get his hands on. They had discussed their favorite books and when she had left he had once again brushed a kiss against her cheek, his hand pressing into her back, pulling her close. Gabriella smiled at the memory. It had been years since she had been interested in anyone, and it was so refreshing to find someone who was as kind, intellectual and funny as Ben, who understood what her work day was like.

Now, as she walked to the East gate dressed in black spandex workout pants and an emerald green tank top and her sneakers, she smiled, anticipating the dinner she and Ben were supposed to have at her house tomorrow night. Her smile widened when she saw Alex leaning against the truck. He pushed himself away from the truck and came over, enveloping her in a warm embrace. Laughing, she returned his hug, grateful to have such a kind friend in Alex. He slung his arm around her shoulder and smiled down at her, "You ready to get your ass kicked? She laughed, "By you? I think you're going to be surprised." He grinned, "We'll see." They climbed into the truck, Alex calling shotgun. Michael appeared and climbed in, starting the truck, speaking to neither of them. Alex turned in his seat to give her a questioning look, jerking a thumb towards Michael, mouthing "what's up with him?" She shrugged and turned to look out the window. If Michael was going to continue to be an ass, then she was just going to ignore him.

A while later they arrived at the same house as before, and after unpacking the truck, headed for the backyard to begin training. Michael turned to Alex, "I want you to start on firearms training for a warm up, and then we can move onto sparring." He turned to Gabriella who already held a small practice knife in her hand, "Shall we?" She gave him a wintry smile and moved further out into the yard away from Alex, to avoid any messy bullet related accidents. Michael stripped off his jacket and advanced on her, lunging in with his own knife, making a swiping motion across her abdomen which she neatly avoided before lunging in and slamming her elbow into his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him momentarily. He stumbled, giving her the time she needed to throw a vicious right hook with the knife in her fisted hand. She felt his head snap back and took some twisted delight in causing him discomfort. Michael recovered quickly though and advanced back on her, his eyes glittering with anger. His wings popped out and he spun, using them to try and knock her off balance. Gabriella tucked and rolled away to the side, only to see Michael descending on her from above, his knife landing on her throat, just as she brought her knife to his femoral artery in his thigh. His hand forced her head back to an uncomfortable angle, "You die" he hissed. She pressed her blade sharply against his leg, "So do you" she hissed back. They lay like that for a long moment, both breathing heavily, until Alex's voice carried over to them, "So, uh, is someone going to teach me at some point today to do that?" Michael stared into Gabriella's eyes for another moment and then pulled away, standing up. He offered her his hand, but she simply rolled to the side and pushed herself up. She grinned at Alex, who hadn't missed the tension between the two as they fought, "You should probably fight the angel today Alex. I wouldn't want you getting hurt." She tossed him the knife, which he caught with a look of surprise. She sauntered over and picked up the sniper rifle from the table, "I should get some practice in with this. I'll be back." She grabbed some bullets and headed back into the house. Alex saw Michael watching her go with a pained expression, which quickly fell from his face when he saw Alex watching. He waved, "Come, let's train."

After an hour of training Alex in hand to hand, with knives, swords and guns, the men went out to the truck to see if Gabriella was there. Not seeing her, Alex expressed his concern. Michael gave him an impassive glance before stating, "She chose to walk off, it's up to her to make her way back safely." Alex stared at him, incredulous. He knew Michael had some issues with expressing his feelings, but he also knew that Michael thought of her as at least a friend. He should be showing more concern.

"I'm so glad to hear such concern for my well being!"

Michael and Alex both turned to see Gabriella walking towards them from behind the fenced in yard. She gave Michael an icy stare before turning to Alex, "How are your wounds feeling? Can I check them?" Alex nodded, now very concerned at whatever was happening between his friends. He lifted his shirt so she could check the wounds.

She poked and prodded for a minute and then pulled away, "They look really good. How do they feel?" "Not too bad, a little sore" he replied. She nodded, "That's great progress!"

Alex turned to Michael who was sitting on the tailgate of the truck, pretending to ignore them. He rolled his eyes at Michael, "Hey I have to tell you something. While we were waiting for Gabriella to come back, one of my tattoos changed, and I could read it." Michael stood up straight, his attention focused, "What did it say?" Alex sighed, "I don't understand, so maybe you will. It said, "One to save humanity, One to save Heaven", do you have any idea what that means?" Michael shook his head no, silent, thinking. Finally he spoke, "I have never heard of another prophecy of another savior. I need to investigate this." Without another word he spread his wings and leapt into the sky.

"Seriously?" Gabriella muttered, shaking her head. She threw the bags of guns and other weapons into the bed of the truck, and headed for the driver's seat before calling to Alex, "You coming?" Alex looked to her, "We shouldn't wait?" She shook her head, "Hell no. He's like a cat; he'll be back when he wants to be." Alex laughed at that and climbed into the truck.

After arriving back in Vega the departed ways and spent the next few days waiting to hear from Michael. Gabriella had a wonderful dinner with Ben at her place, spending the evening cuddled on the couch, listening to music and simply spending time together. Finally, on Wednesday evening Alex appeared at her door. They walked to Michael's together, Alex finally divulging that he and Claire Riesen were an item. She warned him to take care if they were intimate, she was engaged to William Whele, and it would look suspicious if she turned up pregnant before the wedding. He told her they were being safe, and Gabriella laughed when his face blushed at his own statement. She thought it was admirable how much the two loved each other. She hoped to have that someday; she didn't know if what she had with Ben was that, or just the beginnings, but it certainly was exciting. Once inside Michael's quarters they sat at the dinner table from the other evening, both of them noting the large cracks in the table. Michael entered the room and stood across from where they were seated.

He took a breath and then revealed, "I went to see my brother, Gabriel. He knew nothing of this prophecy either." Gabriella and Alex shared a look before Alex shouted, "Are you out of your mind?! He could have killed you!" Michael shook his head, "No he doesn't want to kill me. He just wants to destroy humanity." Gabriella gave a sarcastic laugh, "Oh is that all? So what are you going to do now?" Michael stared at her for a moment then ducked his head and spoke, "I am going to travel and find scrolls and texts I believe will help to understand this." Alex stood, "I'm coming with you." Gabriella nodded, "If the two most important people to saving humanity are leaving Vega, then so am I." Michael was already shaking his head when Alex finished speaking and now he spoke, "No! Neither of you are coming. You will stay here." Alex made a noise of disgust and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Michael felt trapped in the room with Gabriella. He could tell she was angry. She too rose, and he expected her to storm out as well but she didn't. She stared at him for a long time and then shook her head in frustration, "Michael, I don't know why you are upset with me, and why you are acting like an ass. But I survived 18 years outside these walls. I was trained by both of my parents to survive. I am a doctor and a fighter. If anyone should come with you it's me." Michael felt his insides twist. He wanted to refuse her, to make her stay here, but he knew she would find a way to follow him, putting herself in danger doing so. If she just came with him it would be easier. Finally, he nodded, slowly. Gabriella gave him a weak smile, "Ok, well we'll need to come up with a story for the Senate as to why you and I are leaving Vega for who knows how long, and I'll need to take a leave of absence." Michael nodded, "I'll tell the Senate that I believe I have found a weapon to help us fight Gabriel, and I need you there to help protect me, and to keep me alive. They should appreciate that." Gabriella nodded, "Sounds like a solid plan." She walked towards the door, and pulled it open, but stopped short of leaving. She turned back, "You know, I am your friend Michael. If you want or need to talk to me about something, you only have to start talking and I'll listen." She waited a moment and when he didn't speak she shook her head in frustration and sadness before leaving the tower.

She walked home, hoping that this trip would help her and Michael repair whatever was wrong with their friendship. She didn't like being on the outs with him. She far preferred the angel when he was being sarcastic and droll, making her laugh. This stiff, cold man was the person that everyone else encountered. She sighed as she shut her door behind her and headed to bed. At least she had dinner with Ben tomorrow night to look forward to before she left. She changed into her pajamas and got into bed, emotionally and physically exhausted. She needed a vacation, but what was coming up was certainly not going to be a holiday. She could only hope it wouldn't make things worse with her and Michael.

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**Also I know I skimped on the Alex training, but I hope that you still enjoy the chapter. There will be more Alex later! Promise! **


	8. Friction

**Hey guys! Who loved the new episode of Dominion?! Crazyness! lol Anyway...I hope you guys like this chapter. As always thank you for the awesome reviews/likes/follows! You are all the BEST! Please review! XOXO **

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Michael went the next day to the Senate and informed them of his and Gabriella's plans to leave Vega and hunt for this new weapon. They were angry at him for wanting to leave, but when he explained that he thought it would help them bring down Gabriel, they relented. He personally thought Consul Whele seemed a little too eager to be rid of Gabriella, but Michael could say nothing in front of the Senate. Michael went to the hospital and found Gabriella working with a patient, and so he stood to the side, waiting patiently for her to finish. When she had, she stood and noticed him, but continued to walk down the hall.

"Are you going to walk with me or just stand there like a statue?" She called back over her shoulder. Michael moved quickly to catch up to her. He laid a hand on her arm, pulling her to stop.

She sighed, "What Michael?" He stared at her for a moment, he could see the impatience in her face, and a flash of hurt, she was still upset with him.

He sighed infinitesimally, "We leave tomorrow morning. We have the Senate's approval."

She stared at him for a minute before making a disgruntled noise and shaking her head, "You don't give a girl much time to pack do you? Ok, well, I have patients to see today, and packing to get done tonight, so I'll see you tomorrow morning." She pulled away from his restraining hand and walked away.

Michael watched her walk away, and hated that she was still upset with him. It had taken him years of interaction with humans to understand their emotions, and especially after his time with Becca, he better understood women. He could tell that his being distant and unfriendly to Gabriella was upsetting her, but it was the only way he knew to protect himself from falling for her further, and to keep Gabriel from realizing what she meant to him, and Alex. He left the hospital, he had his own packing and requisitioning of supplies to do.

Gabriella spent the rest of the day working with patients and finished the day by informing the hospital board of directors that she would be taking an extended leave of absence to go with the archangel on a mission. The Senate had already informed the hospital board of her impending departure, and so while they were upset at Michael for commandeering her, they had no choice but to accept. Gabriella left the hospital for the day, accompanied by Ben. She invited him to hang out with her while she packed and stay for dinner, and he readily agreed, wanting to spend as much time with her as possible before she leaves.

Gabriella's heart skipped a beat when Ben sat on her bed, the sight of him there so inviting. But she had packing to do! She pulled her father's large military canvas bag from under her bed and began to sort through her clothes, deciding what to take and what to leave. Eventually she had four pairs of cargo pants, two linen, and two pairs of shorts, along with four tank tops in varying colors, two tshirts in black, two long sleeved cotton shirts, and three button down shirts. She packed all of her bras and underwear, blushing when Ben raised an eyebrow at her lacy underwear. She would only take her boots and sneakers she decided. No makeup or jewelry that was just a stupid decision. She went to her closet and reached to the top shelf, pulling down her lock box. She pulled out her 9mm, four extra clips and two boxes of ammo and packed that as well as her bowie knife from her father.

"So, you expect a lot of trouble?" Ben asked a look of concern on his face at the sight of her knife and gun.

She smiled at him, "It is a distinct possibility outside these walls. I'm sure Michael will have far more weapons than this, but I like my own gun."

Ben raised a brow, "You like weapons?" She sighed, "Well so far as using them for protection against 8balls, yea. I'm no killer Ben."

He nodded, "I know, you're too good at healing people to be a weirdo killer." She laughed and hauled the bag off the bed, holding out her hand, "Come on, let's go eat." He smiled back at her and hopped off the bed, grabbing her hand and pulled her against his chest, dancing with her into the kitchen, making her laugh. They worked together, making dinner, and then went out to the patio to eat dinner. After finishing dinner Ben grabbed the plates and over her protests, went in to do the dishes, telling her to sit and relax. Gabriella smiled and did as she was told, relaxing in her chair, finishing off her beer. A short while later Ben came back outside with two more beers. Setting hers down in front of her, he leaned down and wound a hand through her hair, pulling her face up, kissing her softly. It was what she had been waiting on for at least a week.

When he pulled away she smiled up at him, "Been waiting for you to do that for days." He smiled back at her softly and drew her mouth back to his, drawing her in for a deeper, more passionate kiss. Gabriella made a noise of pleasure and let herself be pulled out of her chair and into Ben's tight embrace. Being in his muscular arms was everything she had hoped it would be. She felt safe, and wanted to strip his shirt off to taste him. Pulling away from him she bit her lip, and then grabbed his shirt, yanking it over his head. Ben stood before her, tanned skin taut over rippling muscle and she could help the small moan that escaped from the back of her throat. She leaned in and placed a kiss to his chest, brushing kisses over his pecs and down his abdomen, taking satisfaction when he sucked in a sharp breath between his teeth. Ben fisted a hand in her hair and pulled her back up into a fierce kiss, pushing her back into the house, and towards her bedroom.

They were in her room he stopped kissing her and stared down into her deep blue eyes, "I assume this is where you were taking this? Or no?" Gabriella grinned and nodded before her hands went to the button on his pants, popping it loose and unzipping him. Ben's breathing increased as her hand plunged into his boxers and began stroking him. After a few minutes he grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. He began to strip off her clothes, biting and kissing at the skin he exposed. Gabriella let out breathy gasps and moans as his mouth settled on her freed breasts, teasing her to the edge, while his hand traveled slowly south, skimming across her hip, and then finally settling where she wanted. She moaned his name as he pushed her closer and closer to the edge, finally stopping his teasing and pushing her back against the bed. Gabriella moaned in pleasure when Ben finally slid into her, rocking her hips against his. They fit so well. Gabriella thrust her hips harder, Ben pushing deeper into her, making them both moan. Gabriella twisted her legs around his hips and flipped them so she was on top, and began riding Ben. He watched as Gabriella took him in with long fast strokes, and reached a hand out to play with her clit, making her moan and ride him faster. Soon they were thrusting, moaning loudly, and chasing their climax. Ben came first, but continued moving in Gabriella until she came, shuddering around him. She collapsed onto his chest, both of them breathing heavily.

They lay like that for a short while until Gabriella excused herself to go to the bathroom, returning shortly thereafter. She smiled shyly at Ben before grabbing her underwear off the floor and slipping them back on and sliding back into bed. Ben pulled her to his chest and breathed deep the scent of her hair, pressing a soft kiss to her head. Gabriella smiled sleepily and pressed her own kiss to his chest, before slipping off to sleep.

She woke the next morning to the sound of someone in her kitchen and when she rolled over, she saw that Ben wasn't in bed. Grinning she grabbed his tshirt from the floor and headed into the kitchen. Ben motioned for her to sit at the table and a moment later placed a plate full of bacon, eggs and toast in front of her. He moved to sit across from her with his own full plate. They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying their time together. When Gabriella tried to help with the dishes Ben shooed her, "Don't you have a trip to save humanity to get ready for?" She laughed at him and headed to her bedroom; she did indeed have to get dressed and go meet Michael. After a short shower she dressed in cargo pants, a tshirt and a denim jacket. She had added a leather jacket to her repertoire, just in case they had to go somewhere chilly. She hoisted her bag over her shoulder and went out to the dining area where Ben sat waiting for her. He insisted on carrying her bag and walking her to the East gate, and she wasn't about to object.

Michael stood next to the armored Humvee he had commandeered for their trip, waiting for Gabriella to appear. As if summoned by his thoughts she turned the corner, with the other doctor, Ben. He felt a flash of rage go through him when he saw the other man had his arm around her waist, and noticed that the two seemed very happy and at ease with each other. When they reached the Humvee, Ben opened the back and tossed her bag in before turning to Gabriella and pulling her into his embrace.

"Please be careful, and come home. I'll take care of Vega till you get back, but it's not the same without you." Ben murmured to her, but still Michael was able to hear. He tried to ignore their tender moment, but was unable to not pay attention. His gut twisted at the look on Gabriella's face before Ben kissed her, passionately. Pulling away, Ben cupped her face and took one last look at her before turning to Michael, "Take care of her will you?" Michael said nothing, only inclined his head slightly, wishing the other man would leave. Ben raised a brow at the lack of response from Michael but only whispered "Goodbye" to Gabriella and walked away, not seeing her wave goodbye and wipe at her eyes.

Michael made a disgruntled noise and climbed into the Humvee, waiting for Gabriella to do the same, until he realized she was watching Ben leave. Sighing he waited a moment more and then called, "Are you coming Gabriella?" She turned and nodded, walking around the Humvee to get in. Michael stared at her for a moment, seeing she was upset. He took a chance and laid a hand on hers, "Are you alright?" She looked up at him in surprise, "Yea, it's just harder to leave than I thought. But we need to get going, so let's hit the road right?" He nodded and pulled his hand away, starting the Humvee and pulling out of the gate, leaving Vega behind. They had a long journey ahead of them, both in miles to travel and regaining their relationship. Michael had hopes that this trip would help them, specifically him, figure out how to be friends again, and deal with his emotions. He sighed, watching the desert flash by, "Miles to go" he murmured.


	9. God's Handwriting

**Hey guys! I am so glad that you enjoyed the last chapter, I know that most of you don't like Ben and think he is an angel or an 8ball controlled by Gabriel, but I am here to tell you that he is in fact...GOD! lolol NOT REALLY! He is just a normal human being. I think that he seems so "perfect" because when we are in love/lust, our emotions make everything about the person seem "perfect". But as I said before, stick with the story, because it's going to be loooong! I already have up to ch15 planned! So yea, this is going to be an in depth story. Anyway- I took a break from packing- I finally have a new place to live *NO MOLD* and I am so happy! So I will probably update again tomorrow. Love you guys, thanks for reading, and please review! xoxo**

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They had been on the road for two days, taking turns driving and resting on the side of the road. Gabriella was behind the wheel, and at the sound of Michael snoring softly she glanced over to see his mouth hanging open slightly. She giggled softly; it seemed so undignified for an archangel to snore. Gabriella turned her attention back to the road, and saw a fork in the road ahead. She consulted the map that Michael had taped to the dash, and noted that she was supposed to turn left. As they continued to drive, Gabriella noted that the map seemed to indicate that they were headed to the California coastline. She was excited at the idea of finally seeing a beach in real life, and not just in books or pictures.

Half an hour later Michael woke to the feeling of the humvee coming to a stop. Gabriella had pulled into an abandoned gas station in the middle of nowhere, and was stepping out of the car. She glanced over to him and noticing he was awake smiled, "Hey sleepy head. I'm going to try and get some gas to fuel this bad boy up. Care to stand guard?" Michael nodded and exited the humvee as well, flapping his wings to bring him up on top of the gas station roof. Gabriella went over to the large manhole covering the supply tank of gas and opened it, coughing at the fumes. She ran a hose down into the tank and began sucking on one end, trying to get gas to come out. She choked and spat gas out of her mouth, putting the end of the hose into one of three gas tanks. She took a swig of water and rinsed her mouth a few times, spitting out the water when she was done. Soon, the three gas tanks were filled and she pulled the hose out of the tank. Gabriella took one of the tanks and refilled the humvee, storing the rest of the tanks and what remained in the last into the back of the humvee. She grabbed her 9mm from her pack, checking to make sure it was loaded. She waved a hand and got Michael's attention, "I'm gonna go see if there's anything left in there that we can use." Michael nodded, though he thought it very unlikely. Anyplace that hadn't been stripped by survivors in the first few years of the war had later been stripped by Vega or Helena. He turned his eyes back to the sky and kept watch while Gabriella went into the store.

Gabriella flicked the safety off her gun and walked quietly into the gas station store. She cleared the area quickly and began her scouting. There were no painkillers or medical supplies left. She moved into the backroom and found in a box in the back a handful of jerky sticks, some painkillers, and an empty gallon jug that could be used to store water or gas, whatever they deemed most necessary. After looking around Gabriella realized there was little else of value, and headed out to the humvee. She loaded her finds into the back and slammed the hatch shut. Realizing she still had her gun she reopened the hatch to put it back when Michael called out to her.

"You might want to keep that out." He pointed east, and she saw two figures moving towards them rapidly. She swore and leaned into the humvee, grabbed the AK-47, sniper rifle and a box of bullets and climbed onto the roof. She tossed the AK to Michael who caught it deftly and leaned forward slightly, measuring the 8ball's pace. She set up the rifle, adjusting the sights and trained on the 8ball to the right. She called out to Michael, "Go the one on the right." He made a soft noise of agreement and then raised the A, preparing to take off into flight and fire. Gabriella tracked the 8ball as it got closer, and when she felt it was within her skill range, fired. She grinned when she heard its distant shriek as the bullet tore through its right shoulder and wing.

She heard the flap of wings behind her and knew Michael had taken off. Moments later the AK fired at the other 8ball, hitting it numerous times, but still it came. She realigned her sights on the other 8ball and aimed for center mass, firing. She watched as it fell from the sky, about 100 yards from the gas station. She pulled her 9mm from the waist of her pants and flicked the safety off, running towards the grounded 8ball. She could see it was a male and it was struggling to rise, hissing at her.

She kicked it in the head and pointed her gun, "Why did you attack us?" He laughed and said nothing, hate glaring in his eyes.

She fired another bullet into his left shoulder and wing, smirking when the 8ball screeched. She pointed her gun at his face, "One more time, why did you come after us?" It laughed, "The reason matters not, you and the traitor will die."

She growled with frustration and when it tried to lunge up at her she fired a round straight into its head, ending its unnatural life. She turned to check on Michael and saw him grappling with the other 8ball. She ran towards him, and yelled, "Down Michael!" When he sank to the ground she whistled at the 8ball and when it turned to her, she double tapped it in the head. After waiting a moment to ensure it wasn't going to get back up, she ran up to Michael who was leaning against the humvee, blood covering his chest. His face was more pale than usual and his breathing was shallow and rapid. Swearing, she pushed aside his jacket and found a stab wound and a large scratch from where the knife had dragged across his chest. She pulled off his jacket and tossed it aside, taking off her own button down shirt and tying around his shoulder as a tourniquet.

Slipping her arm under his, she pulled, "Come on flyboy, I need you to help me here."

Michael's eyes were glassy with pain as his eyes found hers, "You called me flyboy."

She smiled tightly at him, "Yea well I'm less mad at you. Now let's get in the humvee and get the fuck away from here, yea?" Michael nodded and tried to lean less heavily against her.

She pulled the passenger door open and helped him into his seat. She ran around the humvee, tossing the AK and the sniper rifle into the back, and then slid into her own seat, locking the doors. She consulted the map and could see that there was an area marked _caverns _about 25 miles away. She gunned the engine and took off, glancing over to Michael and saw that he had slipped into unconsciousness. Soon enough she saw the sign for the caverns and turned at the indicated road, hoping that they would be safe here. When she saw the first few caverns or caves, or whatever the hell they were, she continued driving. After another two miles she pulled past the mouth of one of the caves and backed in slowly. Once she was back in enough that the humvee couldn't be seen from above she turned off the humvee. She checked on Michael who was still passed out, and decided that she would leave him here while she scouted. She pulled her gun and locked the humvee, proceeding into the dark of the cave. She flipped on the flashlight attached to her gun and saw that the cave dead-ended about 100 feet in. Pleased, she headed back to the humvee and unlocked it, pulling out the sand colored tarp that Michael had packed, and using the climbing gear he had also packed, hammered it into the floor and ceiling of the cave, creating a tent of sorts for them. She left one corner undone so she could let carbon monoxide from a fire out, and air in. She went outside the cave and scouted for branches, twigs, anything to be burned. Half an hour or so later, she came back with an armful of dried bushes, and set about digging a hole in the ground, filling it with the dried branches. She used a tiny amount of gas as lighter fluid and tossed a match on it, pleased when it burned.

She went to the humvee and saw that Michael was awake, but looked pale. She noticed that his wounds were still weeping blood and knew he needed stitches. "Come on; let's get you out of here so I can take a better look at that." Michael nodded and swung his feet out of the humvee, groaning when he stood with Gabriella's assistance. She led him over near the fire and had him sit again, going back to the humvee for her medical supplies. She had been well stocked, courtesy of the Senate. She kneeled in front of Michael and unwound her shirt before cutting off his shirt, needing to see his wounds. She used a pair of tweezers to pick fabric and large chunks of dirt out of the wound. She rinsed the wound with some water and then, after rubbing the needle in iodine and heating it, began to sow up his wounds.

She whispered "Sorry!" to his hiss of breath between gritted teeth.

Michael shook his head, "I've had much worse." She glanced up at him from her stitching and raised a brow, "Really?"

Michael nodded and pointed to his chest with a weak hand movement, "My brother Gabriel stabbed me through the heart."

She leaned back, and stared at him, "But that's how you kill an angel." Michael nodded, his eyes locked on hers, "Yes. One of the last acts of my Father before he disappeared was to raise me and send me back." He saw Gabriella's eyes widen. She stared at him for a moment and then leaned back towards his chest, intent on finishing the stitches.

When she was finished she handed him a bottle of water and a stick of jerky, "Eat and drink. You'll pass out again if you don't." He accepted the bottle of water but waved off the jerky, "Thank you, but no." She gave him a disgruntled look and walked away, "Fine pass out again."

Gabriella went to the humvee and pulled out a sleeping bag, rolling it out on the ground. She helped Michael to stand and removed his boots before having him lay down in the sleeping bag, bunching up his jacket beneath his head for a pillow. She stood over him for a moment and then shook her head, smiling at him tiredly.

"I'll stand guard tonight. Get some rest." Michael didn't even try to protest, his body was already heading for sleep.

Gabriella sat on the hood of the humvee with a blanket wrapped around her, munching on a jerky stick. She didn't think that Michael's wounds would get infected; she had treated them as best she could. Besides, they had antibiotics if they needed, she just hated using them. As night fell she became sleepy, but did pushups and walked the perimeter on and off so she stayed awake.

After a long night, undisturbed by 8balls, she went back into the cave and roused Michael. He got around quickly for a guy who had been stabbed she thought, smiling to herself. She pulled down the tarp and stored it in the back of the humvee. She kicked dirt over the coals of the fire and looked to Michael, "You good to drive?" He nodded, "I'm feeling quite rested for having had my ass kicked."

Gabriella looked at him in surprise, and when she saw he was raising a teasing brow laughed. She climbed into the passenger seat and pulled a blanket over her, falling asleep before they made it back to the main highway. Hours later she felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. She woke slowly, wondering why she was moving. When she realized where and who she was with, she nodded. Gabriella sat up and stared out the front of the humvee. They were driving up a long paved driveway towards a huge house….mansion? She hadn't ever seen one, but this seemed to fit the description. When the humvee came to a stop behind the house, she looked out and saw that the house sat on a cliff, and that the only other view for miles was trees and ocean. She moved out of the car and stretched, sniffing the salt air appreciatively.

She turned to see Michael moving to stand next to her, and smiled softly. "This is amazing!" she spoke softly.

Michael smiled softly and nodded, "Its sights like these that make me awestruck at this world. Even though it has been irrevocably changed, it still holds such beauty and wonder."

Gabriella nodded, staring out at the waves, crashing over and over again against the beach. "Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting" she murmured softly.

Michael looked over to her, and made a questioning face. She smiled "Ralph Waldo Emerson, my mom used to read him to me." Michael nodded, "He is right." The stood for a long time together, simply watching the sun set, casting a rainbow of colors over the sea. Michael's heart felt lighter, he knew Gabriella was still upset with him, but she had called him "flyboy" again. Surely she couldn't be that angry with him. Gabriella watched the sunset with Michael and wished Ben was there to see it with her. She missed him already. Michael glanced to Gabriella and knew from the look on her face that she was thinking of Ben. Miles to go indeed he thought wryly.


	10. Rekindling

**Hey guys, so the next few chapters will be about translating the books, exploring etc, not super action-y, but with other goooood stuff :) I hope you enjoy the chapter. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing! xoxo**

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Michael and Gabriella pulled the humvee into the garage and began unpacking. Gabriella walked through the house, exploring. –_Four bedrooms and six bathrooms though?_- she thought to herself wryly, her little house had one small bedroom and bathroom and that felt like a luxury. This felt like, a waste. She took the smallest of the bedrooms and unpacked her bag, shaking out her clothes. There was a thick layer of dust on the bedroom, so she grabbed a towel from the bathroom adjoining and began to wipe it down, shaking out the sheets on the bed. She took them out to the back patio and laid them over the rail of the deck, hoping the fresh sea air would get rid of the musty smell. She went back inside and wandered until she found Michael's room and saw that he had unpacked but hadn't bothered to clean. Sighing, her inner clean freak took over and she cleaned his room as well, taking his sheets out to the deck.

After finishing up in the bedrooms Gabriella went to the kitchen and unpacked the food supplies. She was excited to see that the stove was gas, it could still work. She turned the switch and after a few clicks, the flame on the burner flared. Grinning in satisfaction she shut off the flame, not wanting to waste the gas. Walking through the house Gabriella opened a thick wooden door and gasped at the sight of a room full of books. She entered the room quietly, reverently. She walked around the room, inspecting the spines of the books. She walked over to the ladder leaning against the wall and climbed it, tilting her head to check out the books. She frowned; she couldn't read the language of a few of the books. She pulled one out and opened it, still unable to read them. She pulled five more books out and climbed down the ladder, setting them on the large table that occupied part of the room. She sat down and stared at the pages, trying to make sense of the language written within the pages. After a time she shut the books and decided that she should try and find Michael, maybe he knew what the books said. Languages were not her forte. She wandered through the upper level of the house and when she couldn't find Michael, she headed downstairs to the finished basement and gym.

She stood in the doorway of the gym, watching as a shirtless Michael moved through a rapid series of sword movements. His body moved with fluid grace, and she was amazed at how strong his slim body appeared. Eventually he spun and noticed her standing in the doorway. She grinned and waved, "Hey. Nice moves." He nodded to her and moved to set aside his swords, picking up a towel to wipe off his face and chest. He took a long drink from a bottle of water and then tilted his head, "What is it Gabriella?" She pointed at the ceiling, "I found something upstairs in the library. Books in a language I can't understand, or identify. I thought maybe you might know what it is." Michael nodded and grabbed his swords, sheathing them at his waist. He pulled on his tshirt and followed Gabriella up the stairs and into the library. He sat down at the desk and began to look over the books, Gabriella standing behind him, waiting for a verdict.

He looked up at her after a long few minutes, "This is angel language."

Gabriella nodded, "Is there any way I can help?"

Michael grinned at her, "Only if you can read or speak angel."

Gabriella smiled softly back at him, "If I could I would understand why you are upset with me."

Michael stared at her for a moment and then shook his head, exasperated. He couldn't tell her the truth. So he told her something that would satisfy her. "I'm sorry for being rude and distant, and for pushing you away. I was worried that Gabriel would find out that you are helping Alex and me, giving him a reason to come after you. I was just trying to limit our interactions."

Gabriella shook her head and snorted in disbelief, "And you thought the best way to do that was to be an ass?"

Michael stared at her, his face blank and then muttered, "I was just trying to protect you."

Gabriella laughed, and ran a hand over her face. "Ok, Michael. I'm tired of being upset with you, and fighting, so all forgiven. In the future, try talking to me though. Ok?"

Michael nodded and turned his attention back to the books in front of him. Gabriella moved to a large leather arm chair across from the table and sat down with a book that had caught her attention earlier. It was about a boy with magic, written by a woman named JK Rowling. It seemed interesting enough. Soon she was engrossed in the book, and the story of young wizard Harry Potter. At the sounds of her stomach rumbling she looked to her watch and saw it was 7pm, almost 12 hours past the last time they had eaten. She stood, a little unsteady from having sat so long, and from hunger, and looked over to Michael, who was steadily working through the books, translating them.

"Hey" she called, waiting for him to look up. "You hungry?" He nodded, and turned back to the books. Sighing she walked out to the kitchen, trying to decide what to make for dinner. Standing in the pantry, she found row after row of soup, pasta that was probably 25 years old, and what looked like lentils. She heard movement behind her and turned, surprised to see Michael behind her. "Can I help?" he asked softly. She smiled tiredly at him, "That would be great." She moved aside, making room for him and asked, "Which of these soups seems least gross?" Michael smirked and inspected the cans, finally pointing to chicken noodle. Gabriella grabbed three cans and a pack of noodles. They headed back into the kitchen and poured the soups into the pot they found, adding water from their supplies. Gabriella hoisted herself onto the counter, leaning her head against the cabinet and watched while the soup slowly simmered.

Michael stirred the soup and watched as Gabriella's eyes slid shut, exhaustion overcoming her. He realized she had stayed up all the previous night and had only a few short hours of rest in the humvee while they drove here. She was probably ready to drop. When the soup boiled he stirred in the noodles and waited until the soup was done to grab some bowls and spoon some out for both of them. He rested a hand on her knee, rousting her from her brief nap.

She smiled tiredly at him, "That smells good." He nodded, "It hopefully won't kill us" he joked. She laughed and took the bowl he offered. Michael jerked his head, "Come on, let's go sit somewhere more comfortable." Gabriella slid off of the counter and followed him to the living room, overlooking the patio. They sat on couch, and Gabriella groaned at the feeling of being able to stretch out. She grinned at him, "I'm going to sleep so damn good tonight." Michael nodded and pointed to his shoulder with his spoon, "My shoulder seems to be just fine, and I have had more rest, so I'll probably be up translating the books." Gabriella nodded, she had seen his shoulder when he was practicing with his swords and had seen that there seemed to be little discomfort. "I'll remove your stitches in another day or two."

When they had finished their surprisingly tasty dinner, Michael took her bowl and shushed her protestations, "Go get rest." She smiled her thanks and went out to the patio to grab the sheets for hers and Michael's beds. After she had remade both of their beds she stood in her bedroom and wiped down her body with a moist face wipe from the large pack she had brought. She finally felt at least semi-clean after almost four days with no shower. She slid some fresh underwear and her father's overly large blue cable knit sweater on, hanging to just above her knees. She brushed out her hair and regretted not being able to wash it. In another day she would go get some sea water, boil it and take a bath she decided.

Gabriella wandered back to the library and sat back down in the large leather chair with the book about the magic boy, once again becoming engrossed. Eventually she fell asleep, her feet hanging over the side of the chair, and her head pillowed on one arm. Michael had been cleaning the kitchen and taking inventory of their weapons, making sure they were cleaned and ready for use when he decided to head back to the library and keep working on the translations. He stopped short when he saw Gabriella asleep in the chair. He stood watching her sleep, her strong features softened by sleep. Her fingers twitched on the book she had fallen asleep holding, and her eyes moved behind her closed lids. He wondered what she was dreaming of. Finally he moved across the room and lifted the book out of her hand and set it on the table. He wrapped an arm under her knees and the other around her back and lifted her, carrying her out of the room and into her bedroom.

When he leaned down to lay her on the bed her eyes fluttered and her hand clung to his shirt. "Michael?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from sleep.

His heart clenched at the sight of her half-awake smile. "Yes?" he breathed on a whisper.

"Will you stay with me? This place creeps me out." Michael hesitated. He wanted nothing more than to lay with her, but he was worried about his own ability to resist the temptation that spending the night next to her would provide. He was weak. He smiled at her, "Of course", and removed her hand from his shirt. He kicked off his boots and socks and walked around the bed, climbing under the covers, making sure he stayed far away.

Gabriella rolled and snuggled into Michael's chest, finally feeling safe in the overly large house. She sighed when she felt his arm drop across her waist and felt his hand rub her back softly. She once again fell asleep, feeling content and safe. Michael watched as Gabriella fell asleep again, a contented look on her face. He had been momentarily stunned when she had cuddled up to him, but his body had acted of its own accord, pulling her closer. The light scent of lavender on her skin invaded his nose, relaxing him. Their friendship was being repaired, and for a short time tonight, he could pretend that she was his, and wanted to be with him, and that was why she asked him to stay. Who knew, maybe someday she would care for him they way he had begun to care for her. Michael eventually fell asleep, a warm feeling of happiness in his chest.


	11. Conquest?

**Oh heyyyy guys! I didn't feel like packing anymore, so I took a break and wrote another chapter! My procrastination is your reward! lol Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Please review! xoxo**

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Gabriella woke the next morning with her head on her own pillow and Michael's arm around her waist, pleasantly warm. She thought about staying in bed, but looked at her watch and saw it was 9:30am, and decided that she should probably get up. She moved out from under Michael's arm slowly, not wanting to wake him. Tiptoeing across the room she grabbed a pair of her linen pants and pulled them on before turning back to check the Michael was still asleep. She smiled when she saw him spread out in the bed, his face soft, young, and so human looking. He snored loudly and she covered her mouth, suppressing her giggles, before leaving the room.

Gabriella headed back to the library and began scouring the walls for more books in angel. Awhile later she had scoured the entire library and only found two more books, setting them down on the table. She stood and looked at the table, noting the drawers in it. It was really more of a desk, she thought. She pulled three of the four drawers open and found random papers and mess, but the fourth drawer was locked. She knelt down and examined the lock, and ran back to her room, grabbing some bobby pins and then ran back to the desk. She quickly picked the lock and pulled the drawer open, taking out a large leatherbound notebook. She laid it on the desk and opened it. The first page was in a combination of angel and English, making her believe it was some sort of translation. Excited, she sat down and began to try and read the book.

A few hours later Gabriella looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled when she saw Michael standing in the doorway. His hair was mussed and his eyes were still sleepy, making him look, well, adorable, she thought. Looking at her watch she was startled to realize it was now almost 11, and she hadn't eaten since last night. She waved him over, "Take a look at this journal, it looks like a translation." Michael ran a hand through his hair as he walked over and leaned against the desk, reading the notebook. He nodded as he read, "You are correct, this is a translation." Smiling in triumph Gabriella stood, "Why don't you work on this while I make us some breakfast? And then I'll check your stitches." Michael nodded absently; he was already becoming engrossed in the notebook.

Gabriella went to the kitchen and gathered some of the oats they had packed, some cinnamon and some dried out honey from the pantry, combining the ingredients in a small pot until they were fully cooked. She took a tentative bite and was pleased with the taste. She grabbed both bowls and headed back to the library.

Michael nodded his thanks for the bowl of oatmeal and pointed to the notepad she had been writing in, "Did you do this translation work?"

Gabriella nodded, "How did I do?"

Michael shrugged, "Surprisingly well" he said, shoveling oatmeal into his mouth.

Gabriella grinned, "Cool. Can I keep helping?"

Michael nodded, and around his mouthful of food said, "Of course, if you would like to."

Gabriella smiled brightly at him and grabbed one of the books off of the table and dragged the leather armchair over to the desk. She settled across from him and began to study the book earnestly. Soon, she was engrossed, her brow furrowing. Michael ate his oatmeal, working on the translation, and also stealing glances at Gabriella. Her long black hair had been braided off to the side, and small pieces hung around her face. She would occasionally run a hand through her hair, loosening the braid, making him wish he could be the one to wind his fingers through the silky mass. –FOCUS- he scolded himself, turning his attention back to the books.

Hours passed without either noticing or even moving. When Gabriella finally stood to stretch she looked at her watch and saw that it was now almost 3:30pm. Where had the day gone? She looked to Michael and realized she still needed to check his stitches. "Hey, I'm going to go get my medical supplies and we are going to check your stitches. Then we are going to gather some ocean water, boil it, and get clean. That is going to make both of us feel better." Michael looked up from his work and nodded, "Ok, if you insist." Gabriella rolled her eyes and laughed, "I do, I really, really do."

She went back to her room and grabbed her smaller kit of supplies. She headed back to the library and found Michael sitting on the edge of the table, his shirt removed. She leaned in and inspected the wound; it was slightly red around the edges, but not inflamed or dangerous looking. She decided that the stitches from the long scratch could come out then and quickly began to remove them, glancing up to Michael, whose eyes were closed. She stopped and stood up straight, laying a hand on his uninjured shoulder, "Hey, you ok? You need to take a break?" Michael kept his eyes closed and shook his head, "No, I just dislike the sensation, and it helps not to watch." Gabriella nodded, she understood, she felt the same way about stitches in her own body. She moved quickly, tugging out the stitches and then wiped down the scratch and the stab wound with iodine. She blew on the iodine to dry it, whispering, "sorry!" when Michael shuddered. She stood straight and smiled at him, "You can open your eyes, I'm all done." Michael nodded, "Thank you Gabriella" and pulled his shirt back on.

Gabriella gathered up her supplies and then grinned at Michael, "You feeling up to helping me haul some water?" Michael stared at her, "Why?" She shook her head, "So we can boil it and use it to get clean." Michael sighed, "How do you propose we do that?" She shrugged, "We haul it up here, boil it in that huge stockpot in batches and then pour it into the bathtubs. Easy!" Michael gave her a look that said he didn't think it would be so easy, but agreed to her plan anyway. For the next two hours they hauled water, boiled it, and then poured out the fresh water into their tubs. Gabriella grabbed one of the bars of soap from her bathroom and hauled another stockpot of water into the bathroom. They had decided to store water in the bathrooms so they could get clean. Her bathtub was only about ½ full, but it was amazing. Even at room temperature, the sensation of being able to get clean made her break out into a huge smile. Washing her hair first, and then the rest of her, Gabriella scrubbed her whole body intent on getting rid of the skuzzy feeling that had been nagging her. When she was done she wrapped a towel around her hair and around her body. The water was actually grey… "gross!" she muttered before letting it out of the tub.

She pulled on fresh underwear and bra, tank top and her linen pants from earlier. She grabbed her father's sweater and walked down the hall to the patio, she wanted to sit and enjoy the sight of the ocean. Michael found her there a short time later after he too had cleaned up. He had to admit he felt much better. Gabriella was sitting watching the waves below, running her fingers through her damp hair, wondering what this view would be like every day.

Michael had stopped in the kitchen and heated up some soup, and as he sat down beside Gabriella, he handed her a bowl, which she accepted with a grateful smile. As a cool breeze whipped across the porch Gabriella moved closer to Michael.

"What?!" she asked at his glance down at her. "It's chilly!" He said nothing but shifted so his hip pressed against hers, offering her more warmth.

She pointed to the ocean, "It's so beautiful. Could you imagine living here and seeing it every day?"

Michael nodded, "It was far more beautiful when my Father first created it. I was able to see the evolution of so many creatures, see the land change. It was so violent at times, but each change was more beautiful than the last." He smiled faintly when he saw her staring at him, "Why do you stare?"

Gabriella blushed, "I'm sorry, you're just good at describing things, and it makes me wish I had been able to see them the way you did."

Michael ducked his head and then looked out to the ocean, "I wish that could have been as well. You would have found so much joy in the world that was." Gabriella nodded; she thought that was probably true. They sat in silence, finishing their soup. Gabriella stood and reached a hand out, "Gimme your bowl, it's my turn." Michael handed her his bowl with a nod of thanks.

She went to the kitchen and washed the bowls before heading back to the patio, "I'm going to go work on translation some more." Michael nodded, "I will scout the area and make sure our presence is still unknown." Gabriella opened her mouth to say something but her words died as he took off into the sky. "Oookay then!" she muttered with a light laugh.

Gabriella was still in the library hours later when something caught her attention. Was that….voices? She rose, and ran to her room, grabbed her 9mm, flicking off the safety as she ran silently to the living room, where the voices seemed to be centered. She peeked around the corner and saw Michael on the patio with another man, with wings. Shit! He looked too human to be an 8ball…her heart raced was this Gabriel? She steadied her hands and knew there was only one way to find out. She tucked the gun under her sweater and walked calmly out onto the patio.

"Brother, you are a fool if you think there is anyone to save us, or Heaven!" the other man was shouting at Michael. Gabriella moved to stand beside Michael, who glanced at her and then focused his attention back to Gabriel.

"Just because it is a prophecy we were not aware of does not make it untrue!" Michael argued back. When the other angel's wings popped out in frustration Gabriella took a step forward and raised a warning hand, "Stop. Who are you?"

The angel gave her a once over and then laughed, "I am the archangel Gabriel, and who are you to stand between my brother and I?"

She felt Michael's hand rest on her arm, but shook him off. She took another step forward, "My name is Gabriella Hasan. And I will stand between Michael and you because I am here to protect him."

Gabriel laughed at this, "You?! A tiny human woman?" His laughter grew, "Your parents must have hated you to name you after me, or they were my acolytes. Which was it?"

Gabriella raised her chin, her anger growing. "My parents died protecting me from your followers, and they named me as they did because they had hopes that someday the name Gabriel wouldn't be hated or feared, that there would be honor in it again. You were one of God's most trusted, and yet you have made war against humanity, his favored creation. How dare you. Did you ever stop to think that if you ended this war against humanity and tried to guide us that perhaps God would return? That he would look on you with favor and love again?"

Gabriel stared at her in shocked silence and then laughed bitterly, looking to Michael, "You told her of father?" He shook his head and tried to take a step forward, but was met with Gabriella's gun in his face.

"If you take another step, I will drop you. If you continue to threaten Michael, I will end you. I will stand between you, and you will get to him over my dead body, and even then my corpse will trip you." Her eyes blazed with anger, and Gabriel took a step backwards, his hands raised.

He assessed her again and then smirked over her shoulder at Michael, "Brother, your latest conquest has far more backbone than any of the others."

Michael stiffened, "She is no conquest Gabriel. She is far too important to humanity for that, and if you continue to threaten her and do not leave, I will kill you myself."

Gabriel smirked and then bowed at them both, before taking off into the sky. Gabriella kept her gun trained on him until he was too tiny to see. Gabriella kept her eyes trained on the sky as she spoke, "So, that's your brother huh? He's kind of a crazy asshole."

She turned and faced Michael, who nodded, "You wouldn't be the first to state that." Gabriella laughed, "Probably not the last either" she sighed, "So do you really think I'm that important? I'm just a doctor Michael."

Michael laid a hand on her arm, "I always knew you were important. From the first time I saw you arguing for more supplies in the hospital in front of the Senate, to when you faced down Consul Whele, I knew. I didn't know how, or why, but I knew. I do know that I can't do this without you."

Gabriella stared at him for a long moment and then re-holstered her gun, sighing. "Thank you for believing in me. I-I'm going to head to bed. Goodnight." She made a quick exit, grabbing the Harry Potter book from the library before settling into her bed to read. She couldn't focus. Was that why she had felt those sparks when she touched Michael's skin? Was it because she was meant to do something, and it was related to the angel? She ran a hand through her hair, frustrated. She looked at the clock, surprised to see that hours had passed and it was now 10pm. She swung out of bed and walked through the empty house, feeling like it was too large and too small at the same time.

She wandered into the library and stood watching Michael hard at work, his brow furrowed as he read. She knocked on the frame of the door and he looked up.

Gabriella sighed, "I can't sleep" sighing again, "Scratch that, I can't sleep along apparently. I feel so….alone." Michael stared at her for a long moment and then stood, turning off the gas lamp before walking to her.

She walked back to her room and pulled off her pants and slid beneath the covers in her father's sweater. Michael stripped off his own shirt and climbed under the covers, this time more prepared for when Gabriella moved to snuggle against his chest. She lay quietly for a moment and then rested a hand on his chest, tilting her head back to look at him, "Will today make your brother come after us more?" Michael thought for a moment, "I don't think so. He's crazy as you stated, but his goal isn't to kill me. His followers tend to get out of hand." Gabriella nodded and rested her forehead against his chest, breathing in the scent of the soap he had used to wash with. She sighed, she felt so weak to be unable to sleep without Michael by her side, but she couldn't deny that his presence was calming. She settled into his arms, which had curled around her naturally, and began to relax, falling asleep gradually.

Michael had been in disbelief when Gabriella had come out onto the patio and had put herself between him and Gabriel. He had been even more in disbelief when Gabriel had seemed intimidated and impressed by her. Michael was certain that Gabriel would be back, and would be interested in Gabriella. He would just have to protect her at all costs. He felt her relax in his arms, and heard her breathing even out, telling him she was asleep. This was the first woman he had enjoyed or even wanted to cuddle with. He had always loved a woman, left her satisfied, and left. Now he found himself equally in the position of not wanting to try and sleep without her. He brushed a finger lightly across her cheek, pushing her hair off of her face and rubbed it between his fingers. He groaned softly when Gabriella wedged her leg in between his, nestling closer. Her long lean body was pressed so pleasantly against his, but he couldn't move. He felt paralyzed by want. Eventually he rolled onto his back and was able to get comfortable; one hand curled around Gabriella's back, the other holding onto the thigh that was slung over his waist. He drifted off to sleep, and the last image he saw before his eyes stayed closed for the night was her face.


	12. The Calm Before

**Hey guys, sorry this is a shorter chapter, i promise ch13 has some _good stuff._ I'm going to be busy this week with moving out of my place and my bday being on thursday (woot 24!), but I also took off of work on thursday, so if yall are lucky you may get a double update! :D Thank you guys for being so freaking cool and awesome at reviewing. Love you all! xoxo**

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The next day Gabriella slept in while Michael rose early, watching her sleep for a moment before heading out to take an inventory of their food and water. A short time later he had tallied all of their supplies up and had come to the realization that they only had about 2 weeks of supplies. They could always head further down into civilization and scavenge for more, but he was worried Gabriel would attack. He strode out onto the patio and took off to scout the area, his mind flashing back to this morning when he had woken with Gabriella in his arms, her long smooth limbs wrapped around his. He shook the images of her out of his head and focused on the task at hand.

Gabriella woke around 9:30am, stretching under the covers; her head nestled against Michael's pillow. She smiled as she breathed in his scent, clean, and fresh like mint. She felt so safe with him, and was so lucky to have a friend like him. She wondered what the next few weeks and months of this search would hold for her and Michael, and then realized that she could very well be away from Vega for longer than a few months, depending on what they found here. She realized that she hadn't been thinking of Ben that often, and felt guilty, she wished there was a way to talk to him. She missed him, but she needed to focus on the mission that she and Michael were on if they were going to survive. Gabriella got up out of bed and walked into the kitchen, pouring herself a bowl of dry cereal. She grabbed a book from the library and tried to work on translation, but couldn't focus. Tossing the book onto the couch she stood and wandered through the house, unable to find Michael. Sighing in disappointment she went back to her room and changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top, deciding that training with the sword as Michael had shown her would be a good way to spend her time. She grabbed the sword from the bag of weapons in the kitchen and headed out to the patio, reveling in the sunshine.

She moved with ease and grace, going from one pattern to another as Michael had shown her. She was working up a sweat when the breeze blew, cooling her off. She eventually decided to switch from right hand to her left, trying to strengthen both sides of her body equally. After nearly an hour she took a break, checking her watch, surprised that it was now nearly noon and Michael still wasn't back. She took a sip of her water and picked the sword up in her left hand, continuing to practice. A short time later she heard the beating of wings behind her and spun, expecting Michael. She froze when she saw the smirking face of Gabriel, standing in front of her.

She was admittedly stunned to see Gabriel so soon after they had chased him off, but she stood her ground and kept her sword in her hand. She pointed it at him and smiled pleasantly, "What can I do for you Gabriel?"

Gabriel bowed his head graciously and smiled back at her, his all teeth and no heart. "I wanted to let you and my brother know that although I hadn't heard of the specific prophecy that you and he are hunting, I had heard something similar from my followers. They had whispered for years of someone meant to save Heaven. I always wrote it off as idle talk from the unfaithful, those who just wanted to go home more than anything else. Now that the chosen one has provided us with evidence however, I am willing to lend the stories more credence." He fell silent and stared at her, allowing her time to think about what he had said.

Gabriella stared at him, unwilling to believe that he could be genuine in his offer to help. Out of nowhere Michael dropped between them, swords raised. "If you have harmed her Gabriel, I will end you" he spoke in a low, even tone laced with anger. Gabriel laughed and launched himself into the air, holding his hands up in a surrendering position, "Calm brother. I have done nothing to harm your pet…yet." Grinning, he turned and flew away.

Michael turned to Gabriella, "Please go back inside." Gabriella stared at him in disbelief. "You can't honestly be upset with me?!" she uttered, dumbfounded.

Michael was admittedly more upset with Gabriel and himself for leaving her alone, but he was still irrationally angry at her. "Please, just go inside where it is safer."

Gabriella's eyes narrowed, "No." Michael's head whipped to her, lines of tension all over his face. "I thought he was here to kill you. I am angry that I left you here against an opponent that you cannot defeat." He sighed when he saw intense anger flash on her face.

"Oh, so now I'm helpless against your brother?" she asked, her voice quiet, but filled with anger. Michael sighed, knowing he had said the wrong thing.

He shook his head, "That's not what I meant. I know you aren't helpless. But Gabriel and I are ancient, and have a millennia's worth of fighting experience that would be nearly impossible for you to overcome."

Gabriella stared him down for another moment and then sighed, knowing he was right. "I'm sorry I worried you, but I was just practicing and he showed up."

Michael nodded, "I know, I just want you to be safe. Will you please practice inside if I'm not here to practice with you?" It chaffed on Gabriella to accept his terms, but knew they came from a place of concern, and not a desire to smother her, so she nodded her assent. "Would you like to join me for some practice then?" she asked. Michael was nodding before he had thought his actions through.

They squared off and began moving through the patterns that Michael had shown her. Gabriella tried to watch his abdomen for signs he was going to move, but Michael was too good for that. More often than not she ended up on her ass with his swords at her throat. Eventually Michael called their training to a halt so he could focus on the translations some more, and as he pointed out, there was a large storm rolling in.

Gabriella went to her room washed off in the tub quickly, using little water. She grabbed the Harry Potter book from beside her bed and lay down to read, the hours passing quickly. Eventually, when her stomach's rumbling became too insistent to ignore she looked at her watch, 6:30pm?! The time just slipped by here. She rose from bed and went to heat up some soup for her and Michael. She sniffed the soup, and decided that it was still good, just needed to be reheated. As she waited for the soup to reheat, she looked out the kitchen window and noticed for the first time that it was nearly pitch black out. The thunder rumbled so loud and hard that she felt it in the counter under her legs. The crack of lighting seemed so close and bright that it frightened Gabriella. She quickly spooned some soup into bowls and nearly ran into the library, handing Michael his soup before sitting in the armchair across from him. He looked up at her and realized that she looked, frightened.

He frowned, "Are you alright?" Gabriella nodded her face tight. "I'm just not used to storms like this" she muttered. She flinched as a crack of thunder seemed to shake the room. Michael smiled at her gently, "It will pass eventually, and trust me, I have seen far worse than this." Gabriella gave him a weak smile as another far louder crack of thunder rumbled through the house. Michael stood and picked up two of the books, "Come on, it helps if you can watch it." Gabriella gave him a disbelieving look, but stood and followed him to the living room where they settled onto the couch with the books and the gas lamp. He handed her one book with an encouraging look and settled in to continue working on his translation. Gabriella ate her soup slowly while she became engrossed in the translation, eventually flinching less at the sound of the thunder.

It was hours later as the rain lashed against the windows that Michael realized that Gabriella had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. He looked at the watch on her wrist and was surprised to see it was after midnight. He set down his own book and took the other book out of Gabriella's hands, setting it on the coffee table. He scooped her up in his arms and walked her back to her room, resting her on her bed. He stripped off his jacket and tshirt, kicking off his boots before lying down in bed beside her. She rolled to face him snoring softly. Michael smiled gently at her, pushing stray hairs off of her face. He loved to watch her sleep. When she was awake she was fierce, animated, funny, but asleep, she was vulnerable, soft, and more frequently, in his arms. Michael leaned in and brushed a kiss across her forehead. When she moved into his arms, he smiled; it was him she was curled up with, not that overly large Ben. He knew that he didn't deserve her, and that he was deluding himself into believing this could be real, but it was such a pleasant delusion. He would never be able to give her the things that all human women craved, children. He sighed deeply, watching Gabriella sleep, and wondered if he would ever be anything more than a friend to her.


	13. The Storm

**Hey all, hope you enjoy the chapter, try not to kill me in the reviews lol just remember i'm writing more, and all will be resolved. xoxo**

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The next morning Gabriella work up with her body pressed flush against Michael's. Her sweater had ridden up to under her chest, and with Michael's warm hand lying against her back, pressing her close to him, Gabriella was startled to find herself aroused. Michael clearly was as well, she could feel his semi formed erection pressing against her, and she fought the instinctual desire to press herself against him. –_What the hell is this?!-_her mind yelled. She tried to pull away, but Michael's arm tightened around her waist, drawing tighter to him, his hips pressing into hers, making her bite her lip at the delicious sensation. –_This is because you haven't had sex in like two weeks and you miss Ben_- she thought to herself, finally wriggling free from Michael. She pulled on fresh cargo pants and a tshirt before heading to the library to work on some translation.

Awhile later Michael came into the library and she closed her book, smiling at him. "Have you made any progress?" he asked. She shrugged, "I don't really think so." She stood and walked out to the kitchen, Michael following. She pointed into the pantry, "We could use more food and supplies." Michael nodded; he had the same thought the night before. "We can make a supply run to some houses further down the ways" he said, already starting to put his gear together. Gabriella went back to her room and pulled on some socks and her boots, grabbing her 9mm and sliding it into her thigh hostler. She went back into the kitchen where Michael was sheathing his swords and grabbed her pack from the counter. They left in the humvee, driving for a short amount of time before they came to a gated community; the gate hanging open. They came to a stop in front of one of the houses and entered quietly, taking their time as they searched. They found little food, but Gabriella was able to find painkillers, a sewing kit, and a first aid kit. They searched two more houses, and finally in the fourth, hit jackpot. In a wine cellar they find dried and canned food, jugs of water, and wine. Gabriella and Michael shared a smile and began to carry load after load out to the humvee. Gabriella stood in front of the dusty bottles of wine, and finally decided to take 3 bottles; she could always come back for more. Michael gave her a questioning look when she appeared at the humvee with the wine.

"For celebrating our good luck" she said with a grin. Michael shook his head, but there was a hint of a smile on his face.

That evening they had a feast of spiced oatmeal cakes that Gabriella whipped up, green beans, and the last of their soup. They sat on the patio, watching another storm roll in, eating and drinking wine. Gabriella smiled, "This, it isn't so bad." Michael shook his head, "You have an ability to see positivity wherever you look, it's refreshing." Gabriella laughed, "Come on! Even you, Mr. Surly can't deny how great a view this is, what good wine this is….come on!" she exclaimed at his dubious look. She shook her head and stood, holding out her hand for his plate and bowl. She took them back to the kitchen and grabbed another bottle of wine, they had already drunk one. She sat back down beside Michael and topped off his glass, laughing when he gave her a look.

"Oh! Have you ever flown drunk?!"she exclaimed. Michael laughed, Gabriella drunk was quite amusing. He shook his head, "No I can't say I ever have." Gabriella thought about it for a minute, "Yea, I guess it would be pretty dangerous." Michael laughed at her thoughtful expression. They continued talking of inane topics, unnoticing of the storm rolling closer until it broke loose, drenching them in seconds. Gabriella laughed and grabbed her glass of wine and the bottle, running inside. Michael followed her spreading his wings to try and keep them dry. They both wiped the water off once inside, laughing. Gabriella's eyes widened, "Oh man, I have such a good idea! I'll be right back" she said before handing him her glass. Michael grinned, watching her run out of the room. He shook off his wings and sat closed them, sitting down on the couch.

Gabriella appeared a moment later and grinned, holding up a deck of cards, "You any good at poker?"Michael smiled, he actually was. He nodded and held out her glass, which she took with a grin, taking a gulp, and then sat on the floor across from him. "Good, then you won't have a problem with making it interesting. Let's play some strip poker." Michael was sure he was hallucinating, but she was still smiling coyly at him. He took a long drink of his wine and moved to sit on the floor across from her. Gabriella smiled in triumph, shuffled the deck, and dealt.

Gabriella smirked and lay down her cards, "Two pair." Michael sighed softly, she was quite literally beating the pants off of him. He looked across the small space between them to where she sat in her simple black cotton underwear and black scalloped bra, her olive skin illuminated by the gas lamp. She raised a brow, "That means you lose your pants flyboy." He shook his head, "I don't have anything on underneath." Gabriella stared at him and then shrugged, her heart racing as he stood, unbuttoning his pants slowly. She took a long swallow of wine and almost choked when his pants dropped- **_Jesus Christ, he's huge!...bigger than Ben…-_**her mind shouted before all she could do was stare. Michael sat back down and crossed his legs, not bothering to cover up. Michael gathered the cards, shuffled, and dealt. He smiled a predatory smile when Gabriella lost. She looked to him, "What am I taking off?" He motioned for her to stand and when she did, he could see her hands shaking slightly. He stood and stepped close to her, smelling the unique scent of her.

Gabriella felt like Michael's eyes were burning into her, igniting a similar fire inside her. Her skin shuddered when he moved even closer, his hips and growing erection pressing against her. He reached a hand around her back his fingers brushing her hair before unsnapping her bra and pulling it to the ground. One of his hands gripped her waist firmly, pulling her flush against him, the other winding through her hair. He stared into her eyes for a moment, and then leaned his head down, capturing her mouth with his. He felt her stiffen, and then melt against him, her arms winding around his neck, pulling him closer. They kissed passionately, nipping at each other's lips, until they were breathless. Michael trailed kisses down her neck, eliciting the sweetest moan from Gabriella.

A loud crack of thunder and a flash of lightening illuminated the room. Gabriella felt the lightening like a cattle prod, and pulled away from Michael, shock on her face. He stared at her in confusion. All Gabriella could think was –_what am I doing?! I'm cheating on Ben!_- She moved away from Michael, grabbed up her clothing and in a shaky voice told him, "I-I need to go to bed. I had too much to drink" she moved quickly down the hall, not giving Michael a chance to stop her. She pulled on a tank top and crawled into bed, shaking. What in god's name had she been doing with Michael? Some part of her knew it could end up there, with them drinking, but she still should have stopped it sooner. She lay in bed ashamed at how she had reacted to Michael's touch and kiss. Ben would be devastated if he ever knew. She couldn't tell him she decided. Gabriella got up when she heard Michael coming and locked the door silently; she couldn't be close to him right now, not with her emotions and hormones running on high. She climbed back into bed and lay awake, turned on and perturbed, for a very long time.

Michael tried the handle on Gabriella's door, and was disappointed to find it locked. He stood outside her door for a minute and then went to his room, which he had yet to sleep in since they had arrived. He climbed into bed after stripping his pants back off, his heart and mind in agony. He could almost still feel her in his hands, her skin under his mouth, moaning. He punched the pillow and groaned, this was worse than not ever having her. Now he had been given a taste of just what being with Gabriella could be like, and he only wanted more. His heart had wrenched at the sight of the guilt on her face when she had pulled away, and knew she was thinking of that damn Ben. He had no idea what to do now. He wondered what tomorrow would bring. He could only hope that everything wasn't fucked up.

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**:/ soooo,yea, that happened. lololol i know, i'm a tease! but, more chapters to follow, you guys are going to flip for ch16-17. :D HELLACRAZY! anyway, love you awesome people! please be kind in reviews! **


	14. Fever

**Hi guys! Sorry it's been a few days, but yesterday (7/24)was my birthday, and I took a break for some me time at the spa(yay groupon!) and dinner with friends. Tomorrow (7/26)I'm moving into my new place(with no mold!) so there will probably be another small delay until we get our internet set up, and i recover from unpacking lol Anyway, thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please review, because I love reading them!xoxo**

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Over the next two weeks Michael and Gabriella worked on translating the books and the notebook they had found. They studiously treated each other with respect, but were careful not to get drunk or sleep in the same bed anymore. They had crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed, and now had to deal with consequences. One afternoon towards the end of the week, Michael sighed and shut the book he was working on. Gabriella looked up from the one she was working on, "What's wrong?" He shook his head, "These books don't hold the answers we need. I think they are telling us to go north, to Washington. But we are dangerously low on supplies and I think we should go back to Vega to give a status report and resupply." Gabriella smiled, "If that's what you think would be best." Michael sighed and nodded. After another day of packing, cleaning weapons, and gathering supplies for the drive back, they took off. Two and a half day later they drove through the gates of Vega. Gabriella smiled widely, so excited to be home, and to be able to see Ben. Michael grabbed her arm to stop her a moment when she had gathered her bag and was about to leave.

"We need to meet back up here in three days." Gabriella nodded and assured him she would be back. She hauled her bag over her shoulder and walked quickly back to her house. She stuffed her clothes into the laundry and then stood under the steady stream of the hot water in the shower, grinning at the feeling of finally being in a real shower. She scrubbed her whole body, finally feeling clean. After she got out, she pulled on underwear, sweats, and a tank top, tossing her hair up into a bun, before settling into her bed with a book and a cup of tea.

She had fallen asleep after reading for a few hours, and woke when she heard someone knocking on her door. She rose from her bed, stiff from travel, and was thrilled to see Ben at her door. He swept her into his arms, kissing her firmly. Her arms wound around his neck, pulling herself tighter against him. She was so happy to be back in his solid arms. They made their way to her room and sunk to her bed, collapsing into each other's arms, making love for what felt like forever.

The next morning, Gabriella woke in Ben's arms, with him watching her. "Morning" she whispered with a smile, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. He pulled away, frowning, "I need to know, are you back for good or are you leaving again?" Gabriella stared at him, confused, their night had been wonderful, and now he was upset with her? "We will be leaving in another two days. Why?" she asked. Ben sighed, "I miss you, and I'm worried that you are going to be hurt out there. I wish you would stay here. Please stay." He looked at her with pleading eyes, but all Gabriella felt was frustration with him for even asking. "I can't do that Ben, Michael needs me. We are close to finding a weapon to fight against Gabriel with." Ben's eyes narrowed, "Michael _needs _you? Huh….you two are just friends right?" Gabriella took a moment to reign in her anger at Ben, "Yes, we're just friends. Why don't you trust me?" she glared at him. Ben took a moment, "I trust you, I don't trust him…I've heard rumors about his…proclivities, and I just have my doubts about him." Gabriella frowned deeply, "Ben, he's never been anything but respectful, caring and kind to me. If you can't trust him, trust me to know how to stop any unwanted advances, ok? But I really think you should give him more credit, he's an archangel after all." Ben sat silent for a long time and then nodded slowly, "Ok. I have to get back to the hospital, I'll see you later ok?" Gabriella nodded and pressed a light kiss to his cheek before he left the house.

Ben walked over to Michael's tower and was let up to see the angel. He stood before Michael, angry, staring him down. Michael stared back at him impassively, waiting for the other man to say something.

Ben finally broke and spoke, "Gabriella says you two are just friends, but I don't believe it. I've seen the way you look at her, and I know you love her. She is going to die if she goes with you. Please, if you love her, tell her she should stay here. She'll actually have a chance to help people here in Vega."

Michael couldn't believe what he was hearing. He glared at Ben, "You have no idea how valuable Gabriella is to Vega. She is valuable beyond words to me and Vega." He stared coldly at Ben, "If it were true that I loved her, I would advise you watch your back, because I will protect her until the rest of her life, and destroy anyone who causes her harm." Ben stared back just as coldly, and then nodded, before leaving.

Soon after Alex came to visit Michael. He embraced Michael, happy to see him back safely. They sat at the large table and Alex spoke, "I want to come with you this time. I think that I can help you guys stay safe, and help you find the chosen one for heaven. If not me, then who?"

Michael sighed, he was hesitant, but he had begun to think the same thing on the drive back. He had the thought while reading the translations that having Alex and his tattoos near the translations would help them figure this mystery out faster. "Very well, we leave in two days, I will inform the council."

Michael stood before General Riesen and Consul Whele, having explained the situation. They were furious, trying to force him, Alex and Gabriella to stay. He waited until they had quieted for a moment, and then spoke. "Gentlemen, you are welcome to try and stop us. We leave in two days via the East Gate. We are going to try and find something to help end this war. You have my best wishes in your attempts." He walked out of the Senate chambers and went to work on provisioning their trip.

Two days later, the three met at the East Gate. Gabriella had already said her goodbyes to Ben, who had told her to be careful, and that she better come home safely. Gabriella had felt guilty for her excitement at the idea of leaving with Michael and Alex. She had smiled sadly and told Ben to be happy without her, and that she would see him again eventually. He had been saddened, knowing she was saying goodbye, perhaps for good. Neither knew how long she and the others would be gone for, and Gabriella knew it would be easier if Ben could happy with someone who was actually in Vega.

Michael took the first shift driving, informing them that they were driving towards Seattle, Washington. After days of driving, dodging and fighting 8balls, the wearied and slightly wounded group came to a stop in front of a log cabin in the woods, miles from the center of Seattle. Michael turned to the other two, "I am going to leave the books from California here with you for you to work on, and fly into Seattle and try to find other books." He was already out of the humvee and taking off as Alex and Gabriella protested. Alex laughed, "Come on, let's get all this shit inside, he'll be back eventually." Gabriella smiled and nodded. They began to unload the humvee, and unpack everything in the cabin. There were only two bedrooms, both of which were quickly claimed by Alex and Gabriella. "Guess Michael's taking the couch huh?" Alex joked with a grin. Gabriella laughed and agreed.

A short time later, Michael came stumbling through the front door, the bag he had taken with him stuffed full of books. Gabriella looked at him in shock; he had large gashes across his thigh, chest, and an open cut on his temple. He seemed to barely be hanging onto consciousness. She ran across the small interior of the cabin and pulled the bag of books off of his back and supported his weight. She led him to the bathroom and had him sit on the toilet before grabbing her medical supplies. Alex came in from chopping wood and upon seeing the blood in the entry way, followed her back to the bathroom. She pulled Michael's jacket off gently, and then over his protests, cut off his clothes. "Nothing I haven't seen before" she whispered with a tense smile. She gave him a small towel to cover his lap with nonetheless, and proceeded to clean each long gash, muttering apologies when Michael hissed. "So what happened Michael?" Alex asked. Michael's eyes were closed, his face etched with pain, but he spoke, "I encountered three 8balls on the way out of Seattle. I was able to put them down, but not without sustaining injury." Gabriella finished stitching up his wounds and rubbed them with iodine, then wrapped them in bandages. She looked up into Michael's pale face, "You need to hydrate, eat and sleep." He shook his head, "I'm ok" and tried to stand, promptly passing out from blood loss and pain. Gabriella caught him, cursing. Alex helped her carry him into her room, laying him beneath the covers. After getting him settled Gabriella went back to the bathroom and cleaned up her work, washing Michael's blood off of her hands. She went back to her room and settled into the rocking chair in the corner, eventually falling asleep as the adrenaline wore off. A few hours later she woke, and saw that Michael was shifting in the bed. She went out to the kitchen and made a pot of oatmeal, fortifying it with spices and powdered eggs. She handed Alex a bowl as he worked on translations, and took another bowl back to Michael. Michael was awake in the bed, looking groggy to her, but awake was good. She set the bowl down and helped him sit up. She handed him the bowl of food and went to get him a bottle of water. She smiled as he drank the whole bottle after finishing his oatmeal. "Guess I know what I'm talking about huh?" she teased. To her surprise, he actually looked guilty, "I'm sorry I'm such a bad patient." She shook her head, smiling, "I've had worse. Now let's check your temperature, you look flushed to me." She slid the thermometer under his tongue and rummaged in her medical supply, pulling out antibiotics and painkillers, deciding that both were probably in order here. She took the thermometer out when it beeped, frowning when it read 101.6. She opened another bottle of water and handed Michael antibiotics and painkillers, "Take these please." Michael nodded and swallowed them down quickly. Normally he would have fought her, or any doctor on the necessity of taking medication, but he felt like shit. Gabriella sat by his side, holding his hand, gently rubbing the back of it with her thumb until he was lulled to sleep. She pulled her hand free and grabbed up the empty oatmeal bowl, heading out to the common area. She smiled when she saw Alex asleep; face down in a pile of books. She dropped the bowl in the kitchen and came back to him, gently waking him, "Go to bed Alex, I'll take watch tonight." He nodded sleepily and shuffled off to bed. Gabriella cleaned the oatmeal bowls and ate what was left in the pot before cleaning it too. She grabbed a blanket, shotgun, and her 9mm before heading back to sit by Michael's bedside. By 3am she had come back inside from walking the perimeter and checked in on Michael.

Instantly she could see he was worse. His face was pale; he was covered in sweat, and wracked in shivers. She helped him sit up, feeling his skin burn beneath her touch. "Shit" she whispered. She doubled down on the antibiotics and the painkillers, helping him to drink the water to wash them down. Michael didn't even seem to know what was going on, he was muttering words in what sounded like angel. She considered putting an IV in, but thought he had a chance of fighting this off through the night if she could get him to keep drinking water. She was also counting on his angel strength to help. She dampened a rag and began wiping his face, trying to keep him comfortable as he tossed and turned in his feverish state. A few hours later, as the first light of the sun crept into the sky, Michael settled into a calm sleep. Alex came into the room, "Hey, go get some sleep, I'll watch him." Gabriella nodded her thanks and wandered over to Alex's room. Kicking off her shoes she collapsed onto the bed and promptly fell asleep exhausted.


	15. Savior, WA

**Hey guys! Thank you all for the well wishes on moving and the birthday wishes too! :D you all are the sweetest! I am happily settled into my new place with wifi(yay!) and am excited for this and the next two chapters! It's going to be good! Thank you all for reading and reviewing! xoxo**

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The week passed by slowly, with Michael fighting a fever for three whole days, often needing Alex and Gabriella to hold him up and feed him. On the fourth day he woke in the early morning, his fever broken. He struggled to sit up and stopped when he saw Gabriella sleeping, sitting in a chair, her head resting on the bed by his side. She had dark circles under her eyes, and even in sleep looked exhausted. He felt guilty that he had caused her so much grief. He laid a hand on her head, brushing her forehead softly with his thumb. She stirred beneath his hand, her eyes fluttering, eventually sitting up stiffly. She stretched, groaning as her tired muscles protested. She finally noticed Michael was awake, "Hey! You're awake!" –_thank God_- she added silently. She placed a hand on his forehead and the other around his wrist, taking his temperature and pulse. She sighed in relief; he was steady as a rock. She smiled at him, cupping his cheek gently, "You scared us really badly Michael. Try not to do it again, ok?" He laid his hand over hers, "I'm sorry, I'll be more careful, I swear it." She nodded and stood, pulling her hand away. "I'm going to get you some food and water. Later today if you are feeling up to it, we can go for a short walk." She left the room quickly and ducked outside, tears choking her. She pressed her fist to her mouth, suppressing her sobs; she had been so scared that Michael wasn't going to get better. After the first day had moved into the second and his fever had risen she had been forced to give him an IV and a steady stream of antibiotics. Gabriella sank to the ground, covering her face with her hands, crying. She gave herself a few minutes and then stood, shaky, and pulled herself together. She went back inside and made another pot of oatmeal with powdered eggs and spices. She took a bowl to Michael and sat by his side, eating a bowl of her own. She watched as his eyes grew heavy, smiling. Even after being out for four days he still needed rest. She took the empty bowl out of his limps hands and went out to the kitchen to wash them up.

Alex came in from outside, carrying a stack of wood for the fireplace. Gabriella gave him a large smile, "He just woke up for a little bit! His fever is gone and his pulse is good. I think he's through the woods. He even ate some oatmeal."

Alex smiled back at her, "That's great! Good job Doc!" Gabriella shook her head, "Nah, wasn't me." Alex smiled and shook his head at her reluctance to take a compliment, even though it had been her up with Michael for nearly two days straight when his fever had spiked. She was a strong woman. He knelt and lit a fire in the fireplace, it was starting to get chilly out, and it looked like it might rain. He could see the exhaustion in Gabriella's face when he stood and watched her clean the bowls in the kitchen. He walked over and laid a hand on her shoulder, "Go get some rest; I'll be working on these translations for awhile. I'll be here if he wakes up and needs anything." Gabriella choked up again, and nodded her thanks before heading to Alex's room to lie down.

Hours later she woke, better rested. She walked out of the bedroom, running a hand through her hair, working out tangles. She walked into her room and balked when she saw the empty bed. She moved through the house quickly, fear growing when she couldn't find Alex or Michael. She ran outside, her 9mm in hand, and came to a stop when she saw Michael and Alex in the back yard; Alex practicing his fighting, Michael guiding him, sitting on the ground. She sighed, tucking her gun into her waistband and walked over.

"How long have you been up to this?" she asked, trying not to sound upset. Alex gave her a guilty look, "Sorry Gabriella, he was getting antsy, and I thought this was the best way to keep him from getting into trouble."

Michael lifted a hand, "_He_ is right here and can speak for himself." Gabriella gave him a silencing look, "I told you that you could go for a walk when I was there. You could have ripped your stitches, passed out….god Michael! You scared me!" she ended up shouting. Michael frowned, "I apologize, I didn't mean to upset you." She stared at him and then shook her head in frustration. She walked back into the house and sat down with some of the books, flipping idly through them. When she had calmed down she went to the kitchen and made some dinner for the three of them. By the time she had finished, Alex and Michael were coming back in, Michael leaning on Alex with one hand on his shoulder.

"Sit" Gabriella said firmly, pointing to the table. Alex and Michael sat, both looking meek. She laid plates in front of them laden with rice, green beans, and chicken. She sat down and they ate in silence for a few minutes until Alex spoke up, "Come on Gabriella, you can't stay mad at us forever." Gabriella sat and chewed her food for a moment and then smiled at them, "I'm not mad, I was just worried when I couldn't find Michael. He just woke up and I was worried the fever had come back and he had gotten up and wandered. That's all." Alex nodded and Michael's face was impassive. They finished dinner and Alex offered to clean up, giving Gabriella the chance to clean herself up. It had been at least five days since she had been able to get clean, what with taking care of Michael.

She wrung out her long hair, sighing with pleasure at the feeling of being clean. She pulled on a pair of shorts and an oversize sweater, feeling relief at being new clean clothes. She wandered out to the living room and found Michael sitting on the couch, working on translations. Alex was outside, patrolling.

She sat down on the couch next to Michael and touched his arm softly, "Hey", he turned to look at her, "I'm sorry that I yelled at you."

A hint of a smile played on his lips, "You have nothing to apologize for. I acted rashly."

Gabriella barely smiled back, "Just try not to do it again, ok? I don't like worrying about you like that." He nodded and then handed her the book he had been looking at. "This and the others don't seem to tell us anything about the chosen one for heaven, but they do seem to point to a town further north, called Savior. I believe that we will find the answers we are looking for there." Gabriella nodded, "Ok, when do you want to go?" "Tomorrow morning" Michael said, speaking softly. Gabriella sighed, standing, "Time to pack then!"

Michael watched Gabriella leave, he felt guilty for worrying her earlier, but he had felt better and wanted to get out. She seemed more comfortable with him now, happier. As he had been reading and translating, he had had flashes of memory from his time when he was fevered. He remembered her cool hands wiping his body off, her soft touch as she checked his stitches and most of all, remembered her words, "Don't you die on me flyboy, I can't live without you", whispered as she held his hand.

**The next day**

After driving for nearly 5 hours, they pulled up in front of a run down, yet still charming bed and breakfast. They decided to move out the next morning and scout the houses nearby. The next day they moved out, working in a grid pattern, searching house after house, finding nothing. They had only covered about 1/8 of the small town before they had decided to head back to the bed and breakfast and scrounge up some dinner. While Alex made dinner, Gabriella waylaid Michael, letting him know she needed to check on his stitches. She had him sit on the bed in her room after he had removed his shirt and pants, pulling the vanity chair up to inspect his wounds. Gabriella pulled the stitches out of his leg and out of the two smaller gashes on his chest. She ran her fingers over his slowly forming scars, and his older scars, smiling at him sadly. "I'm sorry you have more scars to add to your collection" her hand resting on his chest. Michael laid his hand over hers, "So long as it's your handiwork keeping me alive, I don't mind." Gabriella smiled, "Ok, sounds good." She stood, "You can get dressed now" and walked out to the dining room.

Michael watched her go, wondering if she felt anything for him other than friendship. He thought she did, with the way she smiled at him, looked at him, and had kissed him back. He sighed, he only wanted her to be happy, and he knew she had been happy with Ben, but that the distance had worn on them and Ben had been able to see that Michael had feelings for her. Michael rose and dressed, heading out to the dining room for dinner.

The next day they headed back out, working in a grid, searching more houses. Mid afternoon, they convened on the street with Michael and Gabriella having come up empty. Alex came around the corner and waved to them, "Hey you guys need to come see this place. I think what we need is inside." Michael gave him a curious look, "Why do you say that?" Alex sighed, "Just follow me and I'll tell you." They walked down the street and around the corner to a large Victorian house, where Alex came to a stop. He pointed to the house, "When I walked past the house, my tattoos changed, and I had a vision of myself in the house, holding a book, and the pages were glowing." Michael stared at him for a moment then asked, "Are you sure?" Alex nodded. They all stood staring at the house until Gabriella squared her shoulders and walked up the front porch, tossing smile and called over her shoulder, "Come on boys, time to go see what it is we've been looking for."


	16. Revelation

**Hey guys, sorry it's been awhile, what with moving into my new place, getting situated and working a ton of overtime this week, I've been a little busy. But, I am really excited to be living in a place with no mold, to have a great roomie, and to have free time to write this weekend. I'll try to get another chapter out this weekend! Thank you all for your lovely reviews, and for reading. xoxo **

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They entered the house, moving cautiously, ensuring that there were no other people in it, and then began to search each room. They tore each room apart, searching for the book in Alex's vision. They found at least half a dozen books, none of them eliciting a response from Alex or his tattoos. Gabriella found a set of stairs leading up to an attic, and called down to Michael and Alex, "Hey guys, come check this out!" She had found a large leather steamer trunk, and was examining it while she waited for the men to come upstairs. By the time they had come upstairs she had broken off the lock and was pulling old pictures, books, and clothing out of the trunk. Michael and Alex examined each of the items closely, but still Alex had no reaction to the items. Michael stood, frustrated, "Are you sure this is the right house Alex?" Alex stood as well, "Yes I'm sure! Michael, I know how to read my tattoos and understand a vision that is plain as day!" Gabriella sighed and stood, pacing, as she waited for the men to quit their bickering. "Michael we need to search the house again, it has to be here!" Michael shook his head, "We tore this place apart Alex, your vision was wrong!" Gabriella sighed deeply and continued pacing. She came to a halt when she felt one of the floorboards squeak beneath her foot. She knelt and examined the board, the sound of the men arguing fading away as she concentrated. She pulled out her bowie knife and pried at the loose board, popping it up. She peered in and saw a dark hole with a cloth covered object inside. She reached inside pulled out the object, able to feel that it was a book. She began to unwind the wrappings and when her skin touched the soft leather of the binding, her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground. Michael ran to Gabriella's side, panic making his throat tight. He gathered her into his arms and tried to take the book out of her hands, but found he couldn't. Alex knelt beside them, "Look, the pages are glowing" he pointed. Michael didn't even notice, all he could see was Gabriella, unconscious in his arms. Alex laid a hand on his arm, "We shouldn't move her, we don't want to hurt her." Michael nodded, and stroked her hair softly, waiting for her beautiful blue eyes to open.

Gabriella walked through the forest; the cool air touching her skin as she looked around at the tall trees, moss covered rocks and heard the sound of water in the distance. She walked into a clearing and beside a small creek she saw a man dressed in white pants and a white shirt sitting on a rock outcropping. He turned to her and smiled, "Gabriella, hello, it's so nice to see you again!" Gabriella was instantly wary; she had no memory of ever meeting the man. "Who are you?" she asked. He held out a hand, and some strange force compelled her forward to take it, allowing him to help her sit.

"The last time I saw you, I was holding your soul in my hands before sending you to your parents, and I knew you were very special." He smiled at her, encouraging her to understand. Gabriella stared at him in shock, there was no way this could be God….except…his face was more beautiful than any human, his clothing was perfectly white and glowing softly, and she felt a sense of peace just sitting by him.

He nodded when he saw the acceptance in her face, "So, you are helping the Chosen One and my son to find out where the other Chosen One is?"

Gabriella nodded, "Well, you are all closer than you know to finding the savior of Heaven, and have been for some time.

" She stared at him, not understanding, "How? We don't know where to look half the time, and the books in angel are barely helpful!"

He smiled at her, "Because my dear, the savior has been with you all along" he waited a moment, and when he saw her incomprehension, smiled, "It's you my dear Gabriella."

Gabriella stared at him in shock and then shook her head no, "Not a chance. There's no way I'm that important. Besides I would have no idea how to save Heaven!"

He smiled, "You will soon enough." He laid a hand on her wrist, "Please tell Michael something for me?" Gabriella nodded. "Tell him that his love does not make him weak, it makes him stronger, and that it will be his redemption."

Gabriella wondered at his words, but readily promised to relay them. He looked to the sky and saw dark clouds moving in, "It's almost time for you to go." She panicked, "Wait, may I ask you a question?"

He smiled, "You have time for three." Gabriella nodded and asked her first question, "Will I ever have someone in my life that loves me the way that my father loved my mother?"

He smiled and nodded, "You already do, you only need the eyes and the heart to see him." She was confused, how could it be Ben? They had said their goodbyes and she had thought it was final.

Shaking her head, she asked her next question, "Will I die saving Heaven?" He smiled at her sadly, "I don't know. I did not create this prophecy, the scribe did, and his word on this has been lost to Heaven. I truly hope not."

Gabriella felt some apprehension at his words, but asked her last question. "Can you find or see my parents here?" He nodded again, "Will you tell them that I love them and miss them?"

He nodded again, "Of course, now it is time for you to go. Tell the Chosen One and Michael what you have learned here." He hesitated a moment, "Please tell Gabriel that I love him still, and that he may come home someday, if only he ends this war."

With that he lay a finger to her forehead, and with a rushing noise, Gabriella woke up in Michael's arms in the attic. She felt his arms tighten around her and saw Alex's face in her periphery. She smiled weakly up at Michael, "Hey, I met your dad." His brow furrowed, "What?!" Gabriella grimaced, a wave of pain unlike anything she had felt before rippled up her arm from where God had touched her wrist. She gasped at the pain and managed to whisper, "He told me to tell you that your love does not make you weak, it makes you strong, and that it will be your redemption." Gabriella arched in Michael's arms as another, stronger wave of pain rolled over her body. She looked down at her wrist and saw tattoos similar to Alex's appearing. She held her wrist up weakly, showing both men, "Oh yea and I'm the savior of Heaven." Her eyes rolled back into her head as the pain overwhelmed her.


	17. Revelation II

**Here you are my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and enjoy this one! I'm so excited for the season finale of Dominion! :D I've got some more planning of chapters to do before I get another one out, so hang tight everybody! Thank you for the reviews/likes/follows! You guys rock! xoxo**

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Michael and Alex stared at Gabriella, stunned by the revelations she had just brought forth, and at the tattoos growing on her. "We need to get her to safety" Michael said sternly, lifting her in his arms as he stood. Alex grabbed the book and tossed it into his pack, following after them. They made their way cautiously out to the humvee, checking to make sure there was no sight or sound of danger. Alex pulled the door open for Michael and watched as he laid Gabriella across the back seats, moving around to the other side of the humvee to hold her head in his lap. Alex shut the door and climbed behind the wheel, his whole body tense. He drove back to the B&B like a bat out of hell, with Michael cautioning him to slow down. When they came to a stop in front of the house Michael lifted Gabriella out of the car and carried her into the house.

He walked into the sun filled living room and laid her gently on the couch, scared and worried that she still hadn't woken up. He sat on the solid wood coffee table in front of the couch, watching her. Alex stood, watching them both, his heart wrenching. He knew how much Michael cared for Gabriella, despite pretending otherwise. He too cared for her, though he thought of her more as a little sister. He was worried sick about her and Michael, and he didn't know what to do for them. "Is there anything I can do Michael?" he asked softly. Michael shook his head and continued to watch Gabriella. Alex shook his head gently and walked away, heading to his room with the book; maybe there was something useful in it.

Michael sat watching Gabriella, fear gripping his heart tight. He didn't think that his father would reveal her to be the Chosen one for Heaven only to have her die. As the hours passed he watched as the tattoos spread from her forearms, to her biceps, and across her chest. When he pulled up her shirt above her stomach, he could see they were growing there as well. He watched as her face grimaced in pain, even in her unnatural sleep. He ran a hand across her cheek, wishing he could take her pain away.

His mind replayed the message she had delivered to him; that his love for her wouldn't destroy him, but redeem him. He sighed watching her sleep, that didn't mean she loved him back though.

He moved to sit on the floor by the couch, watching her sleep, and for the first time in a very long time, prayed. He prayed that his father would help to save them, that they would survive this, and that she would be brought through this ordeal safely. He looked at the clock and saw it was nearing 11 pm; the sun long set. He was exhausted, and decided to rest his head against the side of the couch, feeling sleep creeping up on him.

Gabriella woke up a few hours later, peering at the clock and saw that it was 2am. She smiled softly when she saw Michael's head near her own. She laid her hand on his head and ran her fingers through his hair softly. He looked so tired, there were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his face was tight with worry even in sleep. She ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the softness of it, before tracing her fingers across the sharp planes of his cheekbones. His eyes fluttered and then opened; his eyes searching until they found hers.

He sat up and lay a gentle hand on her face, "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly. Gabriella sat up slowly, stiffly, Michael's hand there at the small of her back to guide her.

She smiled the pain evident in her face, "I feel like I was hammered." She looked down at her body with a wry smile, "Huh, guess I'm getting those tattoos I was always thinking about."

Michael couldn't smile, he had been so scared for Gabriella, he had thought she might never wake up. Gabriella saw the fear in his face, the worry etched in every line, and felt her heart wrench that she had caused it. She grabbed his hands and pulled him up onto the couch, holding his hands in hers.

"Michael, I'm ok, I swear. I'm a little shook up and sore, but I swear everything is going to be ok." His gaze was stubbornly staring at her arms, at her tattoos, refusing to look at her.

Gabriella sighed and placed a gentle hand on his cheek, "Look at me", he raised his face to look at her, "I swear I can handle this. I am here to save you, and all of Heaven. What could go wrong?" she was trying for lightheartedness, but she saw anger flash in Michael's eyes.

"You could die, that's what could go wrong."

Gabriella nodded slowly, "I know that, but that's part of the job description being a Chosen One, right? We just have to hope it doesn't happen."

Michael could tell she still didn't understand, and grew frustrated. He stood, and went to stand in the sunroom, staring up at the stars. He would forsake Heaven, having Gabriel and his family back if it meant keeping her alive. If she had to die to save Heaven and the angels, that was a sacrifice he was unwilling to have her make. He spoke, "Please promise me you won't act rashly, you won't try to go on some sort of suicide mission to save Heaven."

Gabriella stood and went by his side, "Why would you ask me that? You know I wouldn't!" He turned and looked fiercely at her, "Because! You are too precious to me to be lost. If you died…."

Gabriella stared at him, shocked. God had told her that she already had love in her life; she only needed the eyes and the heart to see it. –_Was it possible he had been speaking of Michael and not Ben? -_she thought to herself. Her heart raced as she thought back over their interactions over the past months, looked at them with fresh eyes and an open heart, and realized that Michael had been showing his affection for her for a very long time.

She moved closer to Michael and wound her fingers through his, earning a confused look from him. She felt the slight shock she always did when their skin touched, and smiled, finally understanding it. She brushed her fingers over his cheekbone, smiling at him. "I won't die, I swear. I won't ever leave you." Michael stared at her, unwilling to accept what was happening; there was too much heartbreak in hope.

Gabriella pulled her hand out of his and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, brushing a kiss across his lips softly. She felt him hesitate, and then his strong arms were around her waist, one hand creeping up to pull at her ponytail, pulling it down until he could run his fingers through her silky hair. She sighed with pleasure at the sensation of his hands on her waist and in her hair, pulling her tighter to him. She felt the familiar sting where their lips touched, making their kiss burn in the most pleasant way. Eventually they broke apart, Michael's eyes burning with passion and joy. He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb across her cheekbone softly, "I love you Gabriella." Gabriella smiled up at him, her heart warming at his words, "I love you too, my beautiful flyboy."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close as they walked upstairs to her bedroom. He stripped down to his pants and crawled into bed, watching as Gabriella pulled her shoes, socks, and pants off. She worked her bra off and then slid beneath the covers, moving immediately into Michael's strong embrace. She smiled up at him and kissed him softly, already feeling tired, despite having been asleep or unconscious for hours. She drifted to sleep slowly and felt Michael playing with her hair softly, his fingers brushing against her skin occasionally. Her sleep deepened when he began humming a soft lullaby. Michael had never felt such happiness in his long years. He had found a woman that he loved, who was strong, smart, funny, kind, and brave. She was a worthy companion, and despite the dangers the prophecy posed, showed little in the way of fear. She was so beautiful he thought, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest; her olive skin seemed to glow, her muscles lean and strong, the tattoos on her arms and stomach still moving and changing. He too eventually fell asleep, with her warm form cuddled in his arms, a sense of contentment and joy wrapping his heart.


	18. Vision

**OMG GUYS THE FINALE THOUGH! *FEELS EVERYWHERE* but, my apologies for not having updated in like a week, work has been hellacious. I seriously can't wait for the weekend. Thank you all for reading! Please review :D xoxo**

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A week had passed, during which time Gabriella grew stronger still, and began working on understanding the tattoos and the book. Unfortunately for her, the tattoos and book both proved inscrutable. It was proving slow going, frustrating them all. Gabriella was sitting in the sunroom of the bed and breakfast, her legs crossed beneath her. She breathed deeply, trying to relax and clear her mind to see if the tattoos would change, but her thoughts kept straying elsewhere. Specifically to the image of Michael, shirtless, his pants riding low on his hips, his strong, muscular chest flexing as he rose from their bed. She sighed, frustrated in more ways than one. They hadn't made love yet, though they both wanted to. Gabriella, Michael and Alex had been training, sparring and trying to decipher the tattoos and book all week.

She had discovered in the past day a strange but useful new ability to detect when angels were nearby. She heard a low pitched humming noise whenever an angel came within a mile of the house. They had been able to avoid detection this week by going out and confronting them, disposing of them before they ever made it to the house.

Alex wandered into the sunroom, "Need some help with meditating? It took me awhile to get it right too."

Gabriella smiled up at him, "Yes please." She was so grateful to have Alex, he was such a sweetheart who only ever tried to help her, and treated her like a little sister, protecting her.

Alex sat across from her and smiled, "Close your eyes" he whispered, waiting for her to do so.

Gabriella sighed and closed her eyes, waiting for more instructions. "Breathe deeply, steadily" he whispered. Gabriella began to breathe, concentrating.

They sat that way for nearly an hour, until Gabriella groaned, "Ughhh Alex, this isn't working!"

She stood, wincing as her knees protested. Alex stood as well, grinning at her, "Ok, let's try something else. Let's do some tai chi."

Gabriella nodded, "Ok, let's give it a shot." Alex stood next to her, showing her the basic movements, and waited while she mimicked them. After a few minutes they began moving through the movements, face to face. As they moved, slowly, steadily, Gabriella felt her breathing steady, and then felt the world slow.

Her tattoos on her right arm moved, changing. She was seized by a vision- _Gabriella stood in a vast desert. The heat and wind blew in her face. She turned and saw Alex and Michael next to her. Suddenly they were walking through the desert; it seemed to stretch on forever, until finally they came to its end, coming to a stop in a forest. They walked a little further and came upon an old cabin with the front door hanging open. They walked inside and upon entering, Gabriella saw a large, long trunk on the floor. She sank to her knees and opened the trunk, her heart racing at the sight of a long golden spear. She reached into the trunk and grasped the spear-_Gabriella's vision went white and ended.

The vision faded from Gabriella's eyes and she was surprised to find herself lying on the ground, spread eagle, the sun now in the middle of the sky. She could feel Alex beside her, and soon saw his face come into her line of sight.

He smiled, "Hey, welcome back! You ok?"Gabriella nodded her head against the ground, and stared up at the sky, pondering her vision. It seemed like a long journey was ahead of them.

She rolled onto her side, "Hey will you let Michael know I need to talk to him, and you?"

Alex nodded and rose, heading into the house to get Michael. Alex found Michael in the small library, studying the book, "Hey Michael, Gabriella wants us out in the sunroom."

Michael looked up and nodded, "Very well." He hadn't been having any luck with the book anyway, and he wanted to see his beautiful love.

The two men went out to the sunroom and found Gabriella standing, staring out at the yard. Gabriella turned and stared at both men before smiling softly. "Well gentlemen, it seems like we are going to be heading out on a journey shortly. I had a vision…we will cross the desert and go into the northeast, and find a cabin. Inside, there will be a trunk. And inside the trunk is a golden spear." She looked to Michael, "You know anything about that?" He looked puzzled, "The spear of destiny is accounted for, I have no idea what it could be."

Gabriella frowned, "I had hoped you might know, but I supposed that's about on par with our luck. I think that it is something that could help us fight Gabriel, unite the angels." Michael nodded slowly, "I agree, but I think we all need to do some more research and training. Starting with you Gabriella, we will work on the book."

Alex headed outside to work on his combat skills while Michael went back to the library for the book before returning to the sunroom with Gabriella. He handed her the book, "It's time to focus." Gabriella sighed and sat down, "Okay flyboy, let's get to it." She saw the ghost of a smile on his lips as he sat across from her, his large hands pulling the book from her hands. He opened the book and laid it on their touching knees. Gabriella sat, focusing on the book, trying her hardest to focus. After ten minutes her attention wandered to travel over Michael's body, and up to his face. He had his eyes closed, meditating. She smiled; he was so _serious_ she thought. She treasured the smiles and laughs he shared with her.

One of his eyes winked open, "You should be studying the book, not me." Gabriella smirked and turned her attention back to the book.

After another twenty minutes she felt as though her eyes were crossing, "Michael, enough, I have a headache and this isn't working." Gabriella stood, stretching.

Michael watched as her tshirt rode up, exposing the taut lines of her stomach, covered in tattoos. He had been restraining himself for the past week, wanting to touch her, hear her cry out his name, but knew he couldn't, for fear of creating a hybrid. He couldn't get her with child; it would be the end of them. He shook off the dark thoughts and stood, gazing at her softly.

Gabriella jerked her head, "Let's go outside and train, I'm tired of sitting." They headed outside, Gabriella waving to Alex as he headed inside. They began sparring, using knives to track their "kills" of each other. Michael was pleasantly surprised to find that Gabriella was now able to hold her own against him, with their sparring matches ending in her winning, or with a mutually assured destruction. In their final match, Michael landed on top of her, his knife at her throat. He pressed his knife gently against her vein, "You're dead." Gabriella grinned and thrust her hips up into his, her grin widening when his eyes darkened and a hiss of breath escaped from his lips. She knew she was pushing their carefully set boundaries, but lord, it felt so good. Michael tossed aside his knife and pulled her head back, tilting it upward so he could ravage her mouth. Gabriella grasped his hips and pulled him more tightly against her, moaning into his mouth at the sensation of his hard body pressed against her as he left her breathless with deep kisses.

Michael broke away, breathless, and rested his head against hers. He groaned, "I want you my love, so badly it pains me, but I cannot be with you. Not with the chance of you having a child, and being the chosen one to save heaven."

Gabriella saw the pain his words caused him, and laid a hand gently on the side of his face, "It's ok Michael….I-I can't have children."

She choked the words out, her throat clenching for a moment before she could continue, "When I was found outside Vega, the last 8ball I had killed had cracked two of my ribs, broken my arm and impaled a piece of rebar through my abdomen. I was barely alive. They did two surgeries, taking first one ovary, and then after an infection set in, they took the other one. I took hormones to help regulate my body for a long time, but I can't ever have kids. That decision was taken away from me by the 8balls."

Michael stared at her, and she could see tears in his eyes. Someone so young shouldn't have had to experience such pain. He stroked her face softly, "My sweet Gabriella, I am so sorry for the pain my kind have brought you."

Gabriella smiled softly and leaned up capturing his lips with hers. She stroked his cheek softly, "Your kind has brought me a lot of joy too flyboy." Michael felt his heart swell, and captured her lips with his, speaking his love without words. After a short time, the broke apart and Michael pulled her to her feet, holding her hand as they went back inside. They sat on the couch and worked on the book for awhile longer.

That evening, after Michael and Alex had gone to bed, Gabriella sat in the sunroom under the stars with the book in her lap. She was finally able to relax her mind and after a time she found the words on the page made sense. _it chronicled how she, the chosen one of heaven had been selected, how she would suffer a great test on her 18 birthday, and then once she passed, would spend a decade learning about why humanity and heaven had to be saved. upon the end of the decade she would face the fallen angel, and if she didn't posses the spear of heaven, she would perish. with it, she could defeat gabriel, and bring him to heel_. Gabriella shut the book, worried. The end of the decade and her 28th birthday was approaching in just a month and a half. If they were going to cross the country and find the spear before then, they would need to leave tomorrow. Frowning, Gabriella stood and took the book with her, and began packing up their weapons and food, taking an inventory. They would have enough on full rations for two weeks, at half rations, just enough for a month and a little extra. They would have to scrounge, and be judicious with ammo. She sighed, tired, and headed to bed. She smiled tiredly as Michael's arms wrapped around her in his sleep, pulling her closer. If she was honest with herself, she was scared. Scared that this journey would destroy them, that she might die, or that they would fail. She snuggled into Michael's arms and tried to get some sleep, they had a long day ahead of them.


	19. Electricity

**Ok guys, it's a long one...but i think it's what you've been waiting for! Thank you for reading! Please review! xoxo**

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The next morning Gabriella turned over in bed and was surprised to see Michael still in bed. He usually liked to be up first, to go out and scout and practice with his swords. She was happy to see him though, and she smiled at seeing how relaxed his face was in sleep. He had been stressed and anxious, watching her this past week, as though waiting for her to drop into another coma-like state. It had taken a toll on them both, making him wary and her frustrated at his hovering. She traced her fingertips across his sharp cheekbone and smiled down at him when his eyes fluttered open. His ocean blue eyes met hers, and a sleepy smile spread across his face.

"Good morning "she whispered softly. Michael reached a hand up and returned her gesture, stroking her cheek, "good morning, did you sleep well?"

Gabriella nodded and turned her head, placing a kiss into his palm. She smiled at him, "We need to leave today. I was able to read the book last night, and I know what is going to happen. We need to get going and talk to Alex."

Michael sat up and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist, "Why the urgency to leave?"

Gabriella laid a hand on his shoulder, "Let's get up and get dressed, and go get Alex and I'll tell you both."

Michael smirked at her, dropping a kiss on her shoulder before releasing her, "You are a frustrating woman."

Gabriella smirked back, "One of the reasons you love me, I'm sure." They quickly dressed and packed their clothing before heading out to wake Alex up and deliver the news that they would be leaving soon.

Gabriella went and woke Alex while Michael loaded their supplies into the Humvee, preparing for their imminent departure. She told Alex that they needed to leave that day and he needed to pack quickly; she would explain to them both downstairs what she had discovered last night. When both Alex and Michael were in the kitchen, she smiled at them; she could see that they were anxious to know what was going on.

"So, last night I was able to read from the book. It was…interesting." She said with a grim twist to her mouth. Michael's brows furrowed at her expression, and Alex looked troubled as well at her tone, but both waited for her to speak.

Gabriella took a breath and spoke, "So it appears that my family was supposed to die…the book said that on my 18th birthday I would suffer a great tragedy, a great test, and if I passed, I would spend the next decade coming to understand why humanity and heaven needs to be saved." Gabriella took a shaky breath, having learned her parents were always meant to die had been heart wrenching.

"It also said that at the close of the decade I will face the fallen angel, and without the spear of heaven, I will perish." Gabriella hesitated at what came next, Michael and Alex both had stricken and worried looks on their faces. "The end of the decade and my 28th birthday is in a month and a half, and in that time, we have to cross the country, and find the spear, and I have to fight Gabriel." She waited a few moments for the news to sink in.

Michael was worried of course, but he also knew that worrying would make Gabriella upset and he still had to protect Alex as well.

Alex was thoughtful, but worried about Gabriella. He knew how strong she was, but he feared that this new destiny of hers was going to lead to her death, which would in turn destroy Michael.

"Ok, let's get going, we need to scavenge some more food if possible." Gabriella motioned for the men to follow her out of the house. They moved through the small town, searching the houses, eventually finding enough food for another week to add to their supplies. They began their journey, driving toward Vega, with the intent of stopping there for a very short time to resupply and head back out.

They had been driving for three days when they finally reached Vega, tired, dirty, and in need of supplies. As they reentered the city, they could see black marks on the outer walls where Gabriel and 8balls had attacked.

Gabriella and Alex stumbled out of the car, giving each other grins as their stiff bodies adjusted to not being cooped up. Michael joined them, stretching his wings, he felt like going for a long flight, but knew they needed the time to resupply.

"I'll see you guys soon, meet back here in like 4 hours?" Alex asked. Michael nodded, "Yes, please be as quick as possible." Alex nodded and took off as quickly as possible, eager to be with Claire.

Michael turned to Gabriella, and stared at her, wondering if she would go to see Ben. What she and he had was new, maybe she would run back to Ben.

Gabriella turned from watching Alex walk away and was troubled to see the look on Michael's face. He looked…scared, like he was about to lose something. It took a moment for her to realize that they were back in Vega, which he probably thought meant that she would go see Ben. She walked up to Michael and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing a soft kiss to his lips, "Hey, do you want to come with me while I do laundry and get cleaned up?"

Michael felt warmth run through him, knowing she was offering because she could tell he was insecure about Ben. He scoffed at himself, him, jealous of a human? But here he was, worried that the man would steal her back. Michael shook his head, "No, I have my own supplies to stock up on and a shower to take. I'll be by your place later. Thank you for the offer though." He brushed a kiss across her lips, feeling her smile before she turned out of his embrace, grabbed her bag and headed to her house.

Gabriella walked quickly to her house, and smiled when she walked inside, the familiar smell of her home welcoming her. She quickly dumped her clothes into the washer and shucked her clothes into the washer before getting into the shower. Gabriella laughed at the sheer pleasure of getting clean; she hadn't had a proper shower since the last time they were in Vega, only sponge baths.

After her shower Gabriella rotated her laundry to the dryer and tossed another load in before she began working on something to eat. She realized she only had frozen leftover meals and sighed, before grabbing a container of pasta with alfredo sauce, broccoli, peas and chicken. She ran it under some warm water and then tossed it into a skillet, covering the pan, and walked to her room to get dressed. She pulled on her favorite pair of sweats, a sports bra, and a flowy top with long sleeves, in a beautiful kiwi green. She began repacking her large canvas bag, adding more sweaters for when they went north, since it was already October, it would be getting much colder in the desert at night as well. She could hear the food sizzling and went to check on it, her stomach rumbling when she removed the lid and the deeply scented steam wafted into her face. After testing to make sure the chicken was done, she quickly wolfed down two plates of food, her stomach growling in pleasure.

Once she finished eating she stored the leftovers back in the cleaned out container, knowing that extra food for the road today would be good. She heard the timer on the drier go off and went to take out the clothes when she heard a knock at the front door. Thinking it was Michael she skipped to the door, opening it with a "Hey handsome" and a large smile that quickly died when she saw it was Ben.

He smiled at her, "Well hello to you too." Gabriella stood in the doorway awkwardly, not sure what to say.

Ben's smile faded quickly, before being replace with an awkward half frown, "Uh, can I come in?"

Gabriella hesitated, "I don't think that's a great idea Ben." She motioned over her shoulder, "I'm just here for another hour and then we are leaving again."

Ben stared at her, confused and hurt. He knew when she had said goodbye the last time that they had left things in a place that had seemed awkward, but he had thought that it was just because she was scared of being hurt or dying on their mission.

Gabriella sighed, "I'm sorry Ben, but I am leaving with Michael shortly."

Ben raised a brow, "Michael? You call him by his first name?" Gabriella could see the jealousy on his face and sighed, frustrated, men were so fucking useless sometimes.

"Ben, Michael and I are together. We love each other, and we are leaving today." Gabriella felt terrible at the expression on Ben's face, but knew the words had needed to be spoken. Ben shook his head and then reached out to tug on a piece of her hair, "You need medical supplies?"

Gabriella nodded, they were dangerously low. Ben looked at her sadly, "I'll be back in 30."He walked away, his shoulders carrying his sadness. Gabriella watched him go, feeling sorrow at the loss of his friendship, for she knew that after this, they would never be close again.

Gabriella went back inside and began to fold her dry clothes, tossing the freshly washed load into the dryer. 40 minutes later as she was folding the other load of laundry and packing it into her bag, she heard Ben knocking at her door. She opened the door and saw no one there. Looking around puzzled, she saw a small duffle bag on the ground, bulging with medical supplies. She grabbed the bag and brought it inside, examining its contents, smiling softly when she found a note. –_Dear Gabriella, Thank you for bringing light and love into my life. I am so grateful to have had you in my life, even for a short period of time. Please be safe, please come back, and please know that I loved you. Yours, Ben.- _Gabriella wiped a tear from her cheek, loss always hurt, even if the loss was a small one.

She finished up her packing, changed into her skinny jeans, pulled on her boots and a bomber jacket, slung her bag over her shoulder and locked the door behind her.

"Can I carry that for you?" Michael's voice came from behind her, and when she turned, she saw him holding a hand out for her bag. Gabriella passed him the large canvas bag and kept the small duffle full of medical supplies on her shoulder. Michael could see the sadness on her face and knew that Ben had come to see her. He wrapped her hand in his, squeezing it gently. She gave him a weak smile before returning the squeeze. They walked silently to the east gate, where they loaded the supplies into the humvee and waited for Alex to show.

After Alex came they loaded into the humvee and prepared for departure. Gabriella grabbed Michael's arm, "Wait, I-I hear something…" she cocked her head…she could hear the slight humming noise that she had learned meant that an angel was approaching. She gave Michael a wide eyed looked, "Shit! Michael, an angel…an 8ball is coming!" He leapt out of the car and flew to the top of the wall, alerting the guards to the incoming threat.

Gabriella grabbed the handle of the humvee as the humming noise intensified into a screeching. "Michael!" she shouted, "Michael, there are more coming!"

Michael looked out over the horizon, and saw at least 4 8balls headed towards the walls of Vega. He told the guards to be prepared and waited for the automatic guns to train onto the incoming 8balls. He flew down to the humvee and pulled the door shut, starting it, and driving it madly towards the gate. They drove away as fast as possible, hearing the guns firing in the distance, taking out the 8balls. Gabriella felt the screeching subside to a humming, and looked back, seeing an 8ball pursuing them.

"Shit! We've got one on our tail boys!" She shouted. Alex grabbed a machine gun from the back and leaned out the window, firing up at the 8ball. It screeched, weaving away, and then coming back. Gabriella pulled out her 9mm and leaned out the window, firing at the 8ball as well. Between her and Alex, they finally brought it down, speeding away into the desert.

**Two days later**

Alex and Gabriella stood by the side of the road, sweating in the heat. They humvee had overheated, and they were waiting while Michael went to try and find coolant for the tank. Alex opened the back of the humvee, sitting in the shade, which was about two degrees cooler than the outside. Gabriella sat beside him and inspected their tattoos side by side, before asking, "Does Claire ever get upset over your tattoos?"

Alex looked at her surprised, "No. Does Michael get upset at yours?"

She shook her head, "No, I just wondered. He…I know he loves me, but I worry that he doesn't like them, or that he would prefer me the way I used to be."

Alex shook his head, "I don't think that's possible. He loves you like…like lungs love air. He needs you."

Gabriella laughed, "How very poetic of you Alex."

Alex laughed too, "Hey, I'm a pretty poetic guy! You've just never seen me without a gun."

Gabriella smirked, "Ok, woo me with some sonnets then."

Alex doubled over with laughter, "Oh man, no way, I save the good stuff for Claire. You are too much like a sister for me to do that."

Gabriella laughed as well, "Okay, okay. So tell me more about Claire, how are things?"

Alex sighed, "She's mad at me for leaving again. She thinks that since I am meant to save humanity, I should stay in Vega, where the humanity it." He sighed, frustrated, rubbing a hand over his neck, "I don't know. Maybe I should have stayed."

Gabriella lay a hand on his forearm, "Hey, we need you here. We can't do this alone." Alex nodded his head, keeping quiet.

They sat in silence for a long time, taking turns sleeping as the sun slowly set. Alex shook Gabriella's arm, rousing her out of her soft sleep, "Hey, Gabriella, hey Michael's back!" Gabriella sat up, feeling her angel sense humming loudly. She stood and peered into the distance and saw Michael plus two 8balls fast on his back. She reached into the back of the humvee and grabbed the sniper rifle, climbing on top of the humvee, setting herself up to pick off the 8balls. Gabriella fired, taking out the wings of the 8balls, dropping them to the ground. Alex ran out and quickly double tapped each of them to the head. Michael landed in front of the humvee, stumbling slightly, his wings drooping in exhaustion. Gabriella climbed down from the humvee and tossed the gun inside, running to check on Michael.

"Are you alright?" Gabriella asked, worriedly running her hands over his chest and arms, checking for any damage. Michael nodded, "I'm fine. Just tired." He smiled at her tiredly and handed her a container of coolant before going to sit in the humvee. Gabriella poured the coolant into the tank and closed the hood, before sliding behind the wheel. Alex ran up to the humvee and climbed into the passenger seat. Gabriella drove for an hour before they found an abandoned gas station, pulled around the back, and hid the humvee under a tarp. After thoroughly clearing the inside of gas station, they bunked down, Michael and Alex crashing hard after the adrenaline crash. Gabriella lay beside Michael, unable to sleep, and finally stood quietly and went outside. She stood looking up at the stars, and wondered where this journey was going to take them. She felt her tattoo on her left forearm swirl and looked down, seeing that it now read, "Follow the sun, look for the sign of three." She stared at the message before it disappeared and then laughed, guessing God or the scribe, or whoever, couldn't make this easy. Eventually she went back inside to lie down beside Michael, waiting for sleep to take her.

**The next day**

Despite rising early and taking turns driving, they were making horrible time. They had been plagued by 8balls since their departure, having to stop and take them out at least 4 times. It was only mid day and they were already sore, tired and covered in grime. They were currently stopped, fighting of a pack of 8balls. Gabriella was fighting an 8ball hand to hand, and was struggling, trying to get a shot at his heart with her knife. She kneed the 8ball hard in the groin, and then punched it in the throat before stabbing it in the heart. As it dropped she whipped her gun out and put a bullet in its head. She turned and saw that Alex and Michael were each fighting an 8ball. She ran to help Alex, knowing Michael was fully able to fight on his own. As she ran to help Alex the 8ball expanded its wings, buffeting her, knocking her to the pavement. She tried to roll, and ended up smacking the side of her face against the pavement, stunning her. She lay, stunned for a few minutes, until she felt her head clear of the humming noise and knew both 8balls were dead. Michael was at her side instantly, helping her to her feet and into the humvee. Michael drove another 50 miles before finding an abandoned farm house for them to hunker down in.

After unpacking slightly, Gabriella was making dinner for the group when she was suddenly overcome by pain, her tattoos writhing and changing, but no message appeared. Gabriella dropped to her knees with a scream, overwhelmed by pain before passing out. Alex and Michael ran into the kitchen to find Gabriella on the floor, her tattoos still, her skin icy, her eyes flickering behind the lids. Michael picked her up gently and carried her to the bedroom upstairs, laying her gently on the bed.

-_Gabriella was in the forest from before, and once again, God stood before her, clothed in white. This time however he looked like he wasn't expecting her. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon my dear" he said with a troubled look. Gabriella laughed, "Well I didn't exactly ask to be here." He frowned and grabbed her wrist, examining her tattoos. At his touch, she fell to the ground, her bones humming. He nodded, "The change is happening." Gabriella felt a bolt of fear, "What change?" He shook his head, "I can't tell you that, but you should know that everything that follows from here on out is meant to happen. You will become even stronger and will be different." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace, a small pendant of three silver interloping circles on a leather chain. He gave it to her, "This will guide you to the sign of three." Gabriella took it, and when the metal touched her skin- _Gabriella's eyes snapped open. She could see early morning sunlight filtering through the blinds, it was the next day. A groan escaped her lips, her bones were aching. She felt like she was a kid again and going through a growth spurt. She tried to sit up, and immediately found Alex and Michael at her sides, encouraging her to lay still. Alex held up a bottle of water to her lips, helping her drink. She nodded when she had enough, and sat up reaching a hand up to her aching head, surprised to find the necklace in her hand. She held it out to Michael, "I had another chat with your dad." He took the necklace and examined it, curious. Gabriella stretched her legs and arms, wincing at the pain, and then looked at her body; was she….taller? She leveraged herself off the bed, Michael's hands automatically steadying her, and to both of their shock, she is taller, at least an inch.

"Holy shit Gabriella, how did you get taller?" Alex exclaimed. "I-I don't know…" she whispered, looking to Michael for some sort of explanation. He had no idea how any of this could be happening to her, and was extremely concerned. Gabriella took the necklace from Michael's hand and put it on, feeling the humming in her bones lessen.

Alex laid a hand on her shoulder, "You hungry?" Gabriella nodded. "I'll be right back." A few minutes later Alex came back with the finished food from the night before. They all ate in the bedroom, discussing what the necklace could mean, not really sure of anything. Alex grabbed the plates and before heading downstairs smiled at Gabriella, "It's going to be ok. I'm going to take guard duty, you guys get some rest." Gabriella nodded and smiled her thanks.

She turned to Michael, "Can you give me a massage? My whole body feels like shit." He nodded murmuring "Lie down" his voice soft, like velvet. Gabriella kicked off her boots and socks and pulled off her flowy top slowly, wincing at the soreness in her muscles. She laid down on her stomach pulling her hair to the side, sighing in pleasure when she felt Michael's strong hands begin to work on her back and shoulders. Her breath hissed between her teeth as his hands worked on a particularly tough knot.

Eventually she felt more relaxed and her bones hurt less. She reached a hand back, and stilled his hands on her back, "Thank you, that was wonderful." She rolled over, tucking herself under Michael, staring up at him. She could see the concern in his eyes, his beautiful blue green eyes that captured her heart more every day. Michael was worried about Gabriella, whatever was happening to her was beyond his understanding, and he didn't like that. He wanted to be able to protect and help her, and if he didn't know what was happening to her, he couldn't. "I'm sorry I worried you" Gabriella whispered, laying her hand on his cheek. Michael stared at her, his eyes as deep as the ocean, "My love, it's my obligation to worry about you, it's what one does when one is in love." Gabriella smiled up at him brilliantly before pulling him down for a kiss, soft at first, then growing more passionate.

Gabriella pushed at Michael's jacket, trying to get it off. He pulled back from kissing her and shrugged out of his jacket, tossing it to the floor, kicking off his boots, tossing his sword to the floor. He rested on his elbows, hovering above Gabriella, staring at her beautiful face. A small smile rested on his lips as he whispered, "You are the loveliest creature", his voice low and sweet. Gabriella laughed softly, "Ever the romantic, huh flyboy?" Michael lowered his head and nuzzled her neck, placing soft kisses down the side, delighting in the shiver that ran across her skin. His hand trailed across her stomach, a feather light touch that made her yearn for more. His fingers trailed across her hipbone, as his mouth worked down to the swell of her breast. His lips captured her nipple through the cotton of her sports bra, teasing her, sending shoots of pleasure through her body. Michael watched as pleasure skipped across Gabriella's face, her breathing becoming rapid, her hips swiveling up into his. Gabriella moaned, "Please Michael…please…" He pulled back from her and quickly shucked his shirt, and then pulled off Gabriella's pants.

Michael stared down at Gabriella's mostly exposed body, and felt himself harden, he wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside her, feel her clench around him, and moan his name at her release. But he had to take his time, he knew she was sore from earlier, and he wouldn't use her like he had Becca.

Gabriella reached a hand up, looped her hand into the waistband of Michael's pants, and pulled him down onto the bed. She pushed him onto his back and moved to straddle him, pulling her sports bra off. She saw his eyes darken with lust when he took in the sight of her naked chest. She leaned down and captured his lips with her own, nipping his bottom lip, flexing her hips, writhing against him, feeling him groan and place his hands on her hips, pushing her harder against him. Gabriella broke away and trailed kisses down Michael's chest, nipping and sucking at his nipples, loving his throaty moans.

She wiggled her way down his body and worked at the ties of his pants, giving him a wicked look. She pulled his pants off completely, tossing them on the ground. She leaned over him, and licked the tip of him, before taking him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around him like a lollypop.

She looked up at him as she lowered her head, taking him further into her mouth, and saw his eyes were wide open, watching her intently. Michael reached out a hand and wound it into her silky black hair, pulling on it softly. Gabriella moaned, she was getting wet from getting him off, and she wanted to stop and climb on top of him and ride him all night long…fuck…Gabriella sucked harder on his dick, scraping her teeth gently on him, feeling him shudder beneath her.

She reached a hand down and began stroking the thick base his cock, feeling him twitch, jumping his hips up into her mouth. Gabriella increased the pace of her hand and her mouth until Michael came with a groan, his hips bucking hard.

Gabriella broke away from him and kissed up his chest, before placing a passionate kiss on his lips. Michael kissed her back firmly, before grasping her hips and flipping her onto her back. He kissed her neck and down her collarbone, fingers tweaking her nipples, drawing loud gasps from Gabriella. He dipped his head and captured her breast with his mouth, tugging on her nipple with his teeth.

Gabriella felt the telltale shocks from their skin meeting, and the pleasure was all the greater, her skin felt like it was on fire. Michael trailed his hand down to her hips and pulled off her underwear, grunting as he tried to get them off. Gabriella let out a breathless laugh at his momentary struggle.

Her laugh quickly turned to gasps as Michael's mouth landed on her clit. Her back arched off the bed, her whole body felt like lightening….Michael sucked on her clit while thrusting two fingers into her deeply, finding her gspot after a few moments, and began working on sending her into ecstasy. He had never tasted anything as sweet as Gabriella, and the noises she was making were driving him mad. He wanted to be in this space of time with her forever, watching her beautiful, strong body come apart just for him. He pulled his mouth away from her clit and grinned at her whine.

He kept curling his fingers against her gspot, using his thumb to stroke her clit as he whispered in her ear, "I want to see you come apart for me, over and over again." Gabriella shook her head, gasping out, "I-I can't" even as he pushed her closer to the edge. He bent his head and sucked on her breast, tugging on the nipple, thrusting his fingers into her deeply, making her moan and buck her hips against him. "Fuck! Michael!" He rubbed harder on her clit until with a gasp of his name, she shuddered and clenched around him, coming hard.

Michael watched her face as she came, seeing the pleasure on her face. Michael rolled onto his back, pulling Gabriella on top of him. He lifted her easily, and guided himself inside her slowly, both of them groaning at the sensation. Gabriella's eye slid shut, "Fuck me...you're perfect Michael" she moaned on a whisper, feeling him fill her. The spark that normally came from them touching was intensified tenfold, and when she began to move, slowly, she whimpered, it felt like electricity was under her skin. "Oh baby, you feel that?" she gasped. Michael nodded; this was like nothing he had ever felt before.

Gabriella rocked, moving until just the tip of Michael's dick was inside her, and then plunged back down, moaning at the sensation of him rocking into her. Michael thrust his hips up, meeting her thrusts, both of them breathless. Michael reached a hand up and tweaked Gabriella's nipples, eliciting raw moans from her that made him want to be inside her forever. His other hand stayed at Gabriella's waist, guiding her smooth motions. His hand at her breast trailed down and began to work on her clit; Gabriella's moans becoming louder. Her hand scratched down his chest, leaving him with marks as she worked towards her climax once again.

Michael pulled his hand away from her clit and used his hands at her waist to steady her, hold her still. He sat up and pulled her more deeply onto him, and relished in her lusty whimper. He began to thrust his hips, pushing into her deeply, each time hitting her spot. Gabriella laced her fingers through Michael's hair and pulled his head back to kiss him, their breathing unsteady. He worked a hand between them and began stroking her clit again, feeling her tightening around him. Michael and Gabriella kissed hungrily, both feeling their climax building. Michael felt the electricity in their movements building to a final clap of lightening, and knew it would be huge.

With a gasp and a cry, "Michael!" Gabriella arched against him, her orgasm crashing down, the spark running down her spine. Michael thought he saw it in her eyes before they squeezed shut, and then with a final thrust, he felt the lightening crash around him, blowing his world apart.

They lay together for a long time afterwards, saying nothing, just holding each other. Michael ran a hand up and down Gabriella's spine, and wondered how it was possible to love someone this much. Gabriella wondered how she would ever be able to survive without him, and hoped she would never have to find out.


	20. My Angel

**Hey lovelies! So I'm sorry that it's taken a long time to get this out, but work has been very busy, and I've been trying to be healthy and work out when I get home from work, so I end up crashing in bed by like 10pm. I appreciate all of you being anxious to read more, so please be patient! I am going away for the Labor Day weekend, I'll try to get something up on Monday/Tuesday. Thank you all so so so much for reading! Love you all! xoxo**

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Gabriella woke to the scent of cooking food and felt her stomach rumble. She looked over at the other side of the bed and was disappointed not to see Michael. He must be downstairs cooking, which was almost as good as being in bed with her, she decided with a grin. She sat up and looked around for her clothes, spying them lying around the room. Grinning she got up and pulled on her underwear and tank top, followed by her pants. She wandered over to the bathroom and with the mid afternoon light that was filtering in, assessed her appearance. She frowned and ran her fingers through her hair, straightening out the knots, wincing when her fingers caught on a particularly bad spot. Her face and arms were tanner from this trip she decided, but the tattoos were what really captured one's attention. She couldn't believe she was taller, but standing here looking at herself she could see it was true. She turned, and confirmed her suspicions; her shoulders and ribcage looked wider as well. Sighing in frustration, she left the bathroom and walked downstairs, following her nose to the kitchen.

Alex and Michael were working together to make the food, surprising her with their laughter and jokes. She stood just in the doorway, unnoticed, while Alex ribbed Michael.

"Come on man, I heard you guys! Admit it!"he said with a laugh. To her surprise Michael blushed and avoided Alex's gaze, "Fine, yes…we made love."

Alex's eyebrows rose at the turn of phrase but he simply smiled and clapped his friend on the back when Michael dared a glance at him. "I'm glad for you man. I could tell you liked her for a long time, and she did too, she just wouldn't admit it."

Michael nodded, and a small smile appeared on his lips, "Yes, she is a stubborn one." At this Gabriella decided to make her presence known.

Clearing her throat, she sauntered into the room and walked up to Michael, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Stubborn, huh?" she leaned in and gave him a soft kiss before placing her mouth by his ear and whispering, "Say that again and you'll find out just how stubborn I can be when you _want_ something and I don't feel like giving it to you." At this she pressed her hips into his a little harder and had the satisfaction of feeling him stir.

She pulled away slightly, and curled herself under Michael's arm, "So what's to eat boys?" she asked with a bright grin.

Alex missed nothing of the exchange, but wisely kept his mouth shut. Michael cleared his throat, "Uh, well, some cornbread, canned chili and some canned green beans." Gabriella nodded, "Sounds and smells delicious!" "Is it almost ready? I'm starving!" she announced.

Alex laughed, "Yea I bet." Gabriella gave him a cutting look and then laughed, "Yea, well travelling is a tiring business." They both laughed at that. Alex and Michael served up the food a few minutes later, the three of them sitting down at the dusty table to eat.

They chatted amiably while they ate, laughing and enjoying their rest period. Gabriella knew it would be short lived though; they needed to get a move on if they were going to find the cabin. She stood upon finishing her food, grabbing up the plates of the others to wash them up.

While she was scraping the plates off and filling the sink with water from the jug, she heard Alex call out, "I'm going to go scout for gas, we're lower than we should be." She nodded and began washing the dishes, calling over her shoulder, "Be careful!"

A few moments later she felt Michael behind her, his warm presence at her back. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly. She glanced over her shoulder and saw concern on his face. She smiled and turned back to the dishes, "I'm fine, a little tired, why?" She felt his hand on her shoulder, and leaned back into his caress, sighing softly. His other hand came to rest on the other shoulder, both hands gently caressing and rubbing her sore muscles.

Her hands stilled in the water and her eyes slid closed in relaxation. A small moan escaped her when his lips pressed soft kisses to her neck. Her body swayed back and rested against his chest, her whole body feeling heavy and saturated with desire. Michael's feather soft kisses along her neck and throat were leaving her breathless and feeling as though her blood was pumping slower, languidly.

Michael could feel the pulse in her neck, beating rapidly, and her breath coming in small pants as he dropped his hands from her shoulders to her waist, pulling her firmly against him as he kissed her collarbone, nipping at the skin, drawing a soft moan from her. His one hand trailed around her waist, pushing up her shirt, his fingertips trailing gently over her skin, making it shiver in delight. He reached his other hand up and began to tease her nipple through the soft cotton of her tank top, making her arch her back, pressing herself further into his hand. "I love you. I love the sounds you make when you come apart for me" he whispered as he pressed a kiss to her jaw. His hand at her waist trailed down and dipped into her pants, brushing against her underwear. Her breath came in small gasps when his fingers found the spot she wanted him to touch most. "You're so wet for me my beautiful love" he whispered into her ear as he dipped two fingers into her, swirling another finger along her clit, wringing a moan from her.

"Michael…."her voice was a whispered plea, begging him to stop, not to stop, to touch her, to take her. He swirled her clit harder, faster, making her whimper and gasp, her hand winding into his hair as she held on, her orgasm approaching. Michael tweaked her nipple as his fingers thrust into her and pressing on her clit, making her thrust against him, moaning his name as she came.

Michael held her as she gasped her body boneless and heavy in his arms. In one swift movement he turned her, picked her up in his arms and carried her upstairs. He covered her lips with his, feeling her respond. He laid her on their bed and began to remove her clothing; first her tank top, then her pants and underwear. When she was naked before him, he stood back and stared at her, a flush on his pale cheeks. Gabriella felt a matching flush on her own face and held out a hand, imploring him to join her. He stripped off his tshirt and pants before coming to rest on his elbows above her. She reached up and cupped his cheek, "I love you my angel" she whispered.

He closed his eyes briefly before leaning down and capturing her lips with his own. He felt, more than heard, her sigh of satisfaction. Her hands trailed down his chest, across his hips, and up his back, making him shiver in anticipation and delight. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders when his mouth moved down her neck and across her chest, his lips capturing her nipple. Her back arched, pleasure rippling through her as Michael teased first one breast with his mouth, then the other, sucking and biting lightly at the nipples. Her hips pushed against his, and he could feel her wetness as his hardened cock brushed against her. He groaned softly wanting to bury himself inside her, but restrained himself. Gabriella moaned at his touches, feeling herself building slowly towards another orgasm. She wanted him inside her. Gabriella wrapped her legs around Michaels hips and used her strength to push at him, flipping him onto his back.

She lifted her hip and then sank down onto Michael's hard shaft, both of them moaning. She began to move slowly, each thrust of her hips pulling him in her, filling her. Michael's hands grasped her waist so tightly he was sure he would leave bruises, but he didn't care, he wanted to stay inside her forever, feel her warmth and hear her gasp his name. She leaned down and kissed him, hard, moaning when his hips jutted up into her, hitting just the right spot. She braced her hands on his chest as he thrust harder up into her, meeting her own movements, making her want to weep with pleasure. Her fingernails raked against his chest as she arched her back, gasping his name as they moved together.

Michael's hands grasped her hips and made her stop moving, making her whine in displeasure. He lifted her off of him and flipped her onto her stomach, pulling her onto her knees. He moved behind her, trailing kisses down her back before sliding back into her with a guttural moan. Gabriella whimpered when he began to move, hitting her deeply inside. His hand reached around and teased her clit, making her gasp out his name. She felt like she could barely breath, her skin felt like it was tingling with small electrical bolts, and she knew she was getting closer, she could feel it coming. Her hips canted hard, back against Michaels', her walls tightening against him, her moans coming louder as her orgasm built hard and fast. Michael buried his face in her neck; breathing in the scent of her as his own orgasm came crashing down, seconds before hers. He held her tight against him as they collapsed, both gasping.

Gabriella sighed deeply, and rolled over to face Michael. She smiled at him and ran a hand over his cheek, "I love you my angel." He rested his forehead against hers and whispered something in angel. She ran her fingers through his damp hair, "what?" she whispered. "I love you, my heart and soul" he whispered. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she smiled, happy. They lay that way for a long time until they both fell asleep.

**The next morning**

Gabriella woke early, the necklace burning slightly against her skin. She roused Michael and Alex and informed them they needed to leave. They needed to make up time for their day spent at the house. They loaded up and headed out, driving for three days straight, taking turns driving and sleeping. On the third day they stopped at another house, resting for a few short hours. Gabriella woke before the others and walked around the property. She was surprised to find a still decent looking motorcycle in the garage, was even more surprised to find it started. She wheeled it out and showed the men, who were adamant that she not drive it. She fought hard and argued that if it came down to it, and she needed to move ahead, then she would be able to on this. Both men finally relented. They got back on the road with Gabriella riding in the lead. Over the next two weeks they moved agonizingly slowly across the Midwest, plagued with breakdowns, attacks and the need to restock. They had just over three weeks to make it to the northeast, and to find the cabin. Gabriella was scared, truth be told, that they wouldn't make it in time. They were on the easternmost border of Missouri and she wanted to be in Virginia in two days. It was going to be a punishing pace, but they needed to make it.

The night after they crossed the border from Missouri into Kentucky, both Michael and Alex were sound asleep, exhausted. Gabriella lay beside Michael, wide awake. She was tired, but her mind wouldn't shut down. She heard a sound, and recognized it as the flap of wings. She rolled over and grabbed her 9mm from under her pack and moved quietly around the Humvee. She peered around the side of the Humvee and frowned. She stepped out and pointed her gun, "What do you want Gabriel?" He smirked at her and raised his hands in a gesture of peace. She made no move to lower her gun, pointing it steadily at his heart.

"Hello darling" he said in a soft voice. "Just here to see if the rumors are true. My…you do look taller!" he said with a grin, "How ever did that happen?"

Gabriella spoke evenly, "Well I suspect it's from all the time I've spent with your Father." She watched as his face drained of color. He stepped closer, "What the hell are you talking about?" he snarled.

She smirked, "I have a message for you from your Father. He wants you to know that he loves you still, and that you can come home, if you only give up this war."

Gabriel stared at her in stunned silence and then laughed bitterly. "You lie."

Gabriella sighed and dropped her gun, tucking it into her waistband. She pulled her necklace out from beneath the sweater she wore and grabbed his wrist, feeling both of their bones vibrate.

Gabriel hissed, and stepped out of her reach, "Impossible!" He grabbed her arm and pulled up her sweater, looking at the tattoos.

Michael moved swiftly around the Humvee and came to stand by Gabriella, giving Gabriel a fierce look.

Gabriel smirked at him, "She is a dynameis brother, and we never knew. If she survives the transformation, she'll be quite powerful." He laughed and shook his head before taking off into the night sky, quickly disappearing.

They both watched Gabriel fly away until they could no longer see him. Gabriella turned to Michael, "So you wanna tell me what a Dynameis is?" she asked softly. Michael sighed, "It's a rank of angel, a higher angel, known as a virtue. Their primary duty is to supervise the movements of the heavenly bodies in order to ensure that the cosmos remain in order.

Gabriella stared at him for a long moment and then laughed, slightly hysterical. She took a few moments to calm herself and then asked, "Why does he think I am an angel?"

Michael stared at her, worried about how to respond. "You're changing….can you see that? You're different." Gabriella stared at him for a long moment and then began to shake.

He moved quickly, enveloping her in his arms. "What's going to happen to me?"she whispered, her voice laced with fear. Michael shook his head, running his hand over her hair softly, "I-I don't know. But I do know that you will be ok, because I will always be here to protect you."

He took her hand and led her back to their bedroll, holding her tight, feeling her shake in fear. He rubbed her back softly, making soft shushing noises until she began to calm, eventually falling asleep. Michael lay awake for a long time, scared. He prayed to his Father to put his blessing on her, to protect her, to bring her through this. He didn't know if she was a dynameis, but he knew she was something.

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**Hope you guys enjoyed it! Get another up as soon as I can! xoxo**


	21. Unbreakably Bonded

**Hey lovelies! I am back from NYC! I had a blast, but I am so glad to be home! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. I think this will be the last one for a little bit, I have a LOT of planning to do, because there is a ton more story to tell, and I need to get it right. Please please hang in there! Love you guys for reading, and thank you so much for your follows/reviews/likes. xoxo**

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The next two days of travel passed quickly until the humvee broke down in Winchester, VA. They had broken down outside of a gated, wealthy looking housing development, and Michael and Gabriella were arguing over who should go check out the development for a new car, when Alex stepped between them.

"Uh hey guys, why don't you take the bike and go check out the development, and I'll work on jimmying the car so I can get it down the road to that other smaller development. Sound good?" He asked with a grin, knowing it was the best plan to get them to stop arguing and have some time to themselves to talk…or not.

Gabriella nodded and tied her belt on her jacket tighter before throwing a leg over her bike. She buckled her helmet on and glanced over her shoulder, "You comin flyboy?" she asked with a grin, holding out the extra helmet.

Michael huffed and strode over, grabbed the helmet and fastened it on before climbing onto the back of the bike. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and when she tore away from the side of the road, his hands tightened deliciously against her, pulling his hard body closer to her.

A few minutes later the roar of the bike died as they came to a stop in front of a large house. Gabriella swung herself off the bike after Michael had gotten off, and both set their helmets on the bike. Gabriella grabbed the small pack from the bike and upholstered her 9mm, heading towards the front door of the house. She heard Michael step lightly behind her, his hands on his swords.

She tried the door and found it locked, with two deadbolts. She sighed and tucked the gun into her waistband before pulling a lock pick set out of her pack. She took a deep breath and began to pick the locks, taking her time. She had nearly finished when suddenly the lock sprang open and the door swung wide, with Michael standing on the other side, a faintly smug look on his face.

Gabriella stuck her tongue out at him and replaced her lock pick set before pushing past him and moving to explore the house. She quickly found the garage door and pushed it open, smiling at their luck. She felt Michael behind her, "This should work, yea?" she murmured softly.

Michael nodded; the hummer was certainly large enough for all of them, plus their supplies. "Let's find some supplies and the keys. Alex will be expecting us soon."

He walked through the house and found a pantry that was mostly empty, but still had some canned vegetables and fruits. He grabbed them and brought them out to the kitchen where Gabriella was waiting with a bottle of whiskey and a pack of cards. She grinned at him, "Feel like another game of strip poker?"

He barely smiled at her, but she could see the desire in his eyes. Gabriella stepped closer and took a hearty swig from the bottle before offering it to Michael. He shook his head, "We shouldn't, we need to get back."

Gabriella shrugged and smiled wolfishly at him before taking another heavy swig. She set the bottle on the counter behind her, and then slowly began unbuttoning her shirt, watching as Michael's eyes darkened with lust. She dropped her shirt to the ground and reached out, pulling Michael closer, while pushing his jacket off, shoving it to the ground.

Michael felt the desire for her grow in his chest like a fire given fuel. He grabbed her, pulling her tightly into his arms and kissed her deeply, tasting the whiskey on her lips as his hands tightened on her waist, pulling her harder against him. Her hips ground into his making him moan into her whiskey flavored mouth.

He pulled away from her mouth and took a deep breath, his hands grabbing her waist tightly as he lifted her onto the counter. Gabriella wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed her center against him, making a soft noise in the back of her throat at the sensation of being pressed against his hardness.

She grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it off of him, a noise of satisfaction escaping her at the sight of him shirtless. She remembered the first time she had seen him shirtless, when they first knew each other, and the thought that she would like to lick him had flashed into her mind. At the time she had pushed it away, now she smiled and pulled him closer and ran kisses down his neck and over his chest. He moaned as she darted her tongue out and traced his nipple, blowing on it a second later, and then nipping it gently with her teeth. He pushed his hips harder against hers, moaning at the sensation. Gabriella nipped harder at his nipples, then darted her tongue across them, eventually moving her mouth back up to his, biting his bottom lip gently before kissing him intensely.

Michael felt a bolt of desire flash through him, and stepped back to unbutton his own pants, shucking them quickly before undoing Gabriella's buttons and pulling down her pants and underwear. He stepped back towards Gabriella and slid into her quickly, his eyes sliding shut at the sensation of being inside her. Gabriella's head tilted back, her hands sliding up to lock behind his neck. Michael began to move, slowly at first, then faster, setting a punishing pace that had her moaning loudly in moments, her hips jutting up to meet his. Gabriella felt her orgasm building as Michael repeatedly pounded into her, hitting her gspot. She reached a hand down and rubbed her clit, leaning back as her body shuddered with tiny little tremors, her gasps and moans of Michael's name pushing him to take her harder. A few minutes later she cried out loudly as her orgasm came hard, her body shuddering, Michael's face buried in her neck, breathing heavily.

They sat that way for a few moments as they caught their breath, the small tremors in Gabriella's body subsiding. Michael pulled away and bent down, coming back up with her pants and underwear. He handed them to her with a soft kiss before pulling on his own clothes. Gabriella hopped off the counter and pulled on her clothes and shoes. She felt unsteady and lightheaded, a combination of the powerful lovemaking and the fact that she hadn't eaten more than 1000 calories per day in the past two days. They packed up the hummer with the food Michael had found and were pleasantly surprised to find it started, with half a tank of gas. Gabriella remounted her bike and was closely followed by Michael in the hummer as they made their way down the road to the other development to find Alex.

They found him outside a small-ish two story house and quickly settled in. Alex saw the dark circles under Gabriella's eyes and knew they needed to rest for at least a day. He spoke to Michael, who upon inspection of her face as she prepared dinner, also noticed that her cheekbones appeared sharper under her skin.

Alex walked over to Gabriella, "Hey, why don't you let me do that? You look like you could use a few minutes of rest." Gabriella raised a brow, "Oh _do _I?" she asked sarcastically. He grinned back at her, "Come on, don't pull that shit with me, I can tell you are tired. Go nap and I'll make dinner. It's going to take a while anyway." Gabriella sighed, she knew he was right, and it was sweet of him to offer. She headed into the upstairs bedroom and kicked off her boots, groaning as her sore feet yelled at her. She flopped onto the bed and pulled the quilt at the foot of the bed up over her, and within moments was asleep.

An hour later Alex came and shook her gently on the shoulder, "Hey, Gabriella, come on, dinner's ready." She stirred sleepily and smiled up at him before sitting up slowly, her head spinning for a moment. She sat for a moment and then stood, walking behind Alex as they descended the stairs. They all ate dinner together, somewhat quiet, for they were all tired, and Alex missed Claire.

After dinner Gabriella sat on the couch and studied her tattoos, meditating, trying to see if anything would appear. After an hour of meditating and another two spent on the book with Michael, she stood, stretching.

Michael motioned for her to follow, "Come on, you're exhausted, let's go to bed." Gabriella smiled tiredly, "Be there in five, I'm going to stretch out first." He shook his head at her stubbornness but didn't comment, instead heading upstairs.

Gabriella waited until Alex and Michael were both upstairs and then headed outside. Her sense that an angel was nearby had been growing stronger, and when she stepped outside, her head began to pound. She drew her 9mm and walked a few steps further into the yard, then halted. She sighed, "Gabriel come out."

He chuckled softly and stepped out from the trees, hands raised. She stared at him, "What do you want?"

He grinned at her, "Just thought I would check and see how you were fairing. How are you feeling?" he asked in an oddly kind manner. She stared at him, and then sighed, "Fine, thank you. Why?"

He smirked, "Well, you are undergoing a tremendous transformation; I simply wished to see how you fared. Any new changes?"

Gabriella shook her head, "No." He nodded, "Not that you would tell me if there were?" he probed; a grin appearing on his face at her expression, "Ah, yes, I thought not. Well I suppose I should tell you that you are no longer fully human, though surely you have felt that?"

When Gabriella simply stared at him without saying anything he smirked and continued, "Seeing as how my brother stares at you like a lovesick puppy, I do believe that you should know that most of his previous…conquests did not end well. I believe that he feels differently about you, but don't think for a minute that he won't place saving humanity over you. He's more in love with humanity than he is with you."

Gabriella raised a brow, "Are you quite done?" Gabriel laughed and nodded; Gabriella raised her gun again, pointing it at him, "I don't believe that I am an angel, I would have known a long time ago. I also don't believe that you hate humanity as much as you pretend to. I've met your Father, seen the sadness in his face, and I know how much love he bears for you and Michael, and for humanity. He knows he made a mistake asking you to destroy us, but now he needs you to realize it. Give up this war Gabriel, help us reclaim heaven."

Gabriel stared at her, anger in his eyes, then spat, his face twisting, "A pretty speech. But I am not about to destroy humanity, I am going to rule it." Gabriella stared at him, thinking he was mad.

Gabriel unfurled his wings and lifted into the air, and before leaving, turned back to her. "I don't lie to you about you being an angel. Should you realize this and decide to join me, you will find it easy to find me." He flew off into the night, leaving her behind to contemplate their discussion.

Gabriella sank to her knees as a wave of violent pain washed over her, slamming into her head. She lay on the ground, her vision black, until, her breath panting, she blinked rapidly and her vision cleared. Her head still ached, but now, she felt as though she could _see…_everything. She could see how the light from the sun, coming off the moon, glinted off the tree leaves, who absorbed even that small amount of light and turned into food. She could hear the smallest breeze through the branches and knew without seeing that there was a burrow of rabbits 100 yards from her.

Terrified, she picked herself up off the ground and made her way slowly back inside and upstairs, where she divested herself of her clothes shakily before getting into bed with Michael. She watched as the tattoo on her chest, above her heart changed and read, _unbreakably bonded. _She smiled at that and lay her hand on Michael's chest, above her steadily beating heart and was startled when the tattoo on her chest appeared on his, in the same place.

Michael's eyes fluttered open and rested on first her tattoo, and then on his, staring at them in wonder. Gabriella ran a finger over the tattoo on his chest and whispered, "I think the message is pretty clear, don't you?"

Michael stared at the tattoo and was surprised to see he could read it. He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms, brushing a kiss to her forehead, "Crystal." Gabriella sighed and snuggled into his arms, falling asleep quickly, her headache and previous exhaustion catching up to her quickly.

Michael was amazed by the way Gabriella's powers were growing, and though he was loath to admit it, Gabriel seemed to be right, she did appear to be transforming into an angel. She had probably been one all along, and the power of the prophecy had kept her in human form. He sighed, this wasn't going to be easy on her, but if he knew her, she was probably more worried about saving heaven than herself. He drifted into an uneasy sleep with that thought lingering in his mind.


	22. Three Points Gorge

**Hey y'all, I'm sorry that it's been so long since I updated, like I said in the last chapter, work has been so crazy that the last thing I want to do when I get home is look at my computer screen. I hope you guys can give me some patience, our fiscal year will be up at the end of this month, and when that happens, I will be less stressed and crazy. Anyways, thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review! I'm going to try and update again soon, but no promises. Much love to you all! xoxo **

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The next morning the group rose early, packing their bags and supplies back into the hummer. Gabriella stood by the hummer with the necklace in her hand, concentrating, trying to have a vision, or a flash of knowledge that would tell them where to go, but nothing happened. She sighed in frustration, and opened her eyes, slipping the necklace back over her head. Alex laid a hand on her shoulder, "You see anything?" She shook her head, "No. Would you spar with me? It might help to relax me and get my mind off of things." He nodded and they faced off in the front yard, circling each other slowly.

Gabriella let her new senses guide her, seeing Alex's intentions in his muscle movement and his facial expressions. She could see his body and face give away the fact that he was going to lunge, and in preparation she twisted her hips, turning herself away just as he lunged and threw a punch. For the next hour they went back and forth, until finally, they were both exhausted. Alex reached a hand out and helped Gabriella up off the ground, grinning at her through a black eye and bloody nose. She grinned back and grasped his hand, getting to her feet, groaning as her ribs and knees protested. Both Gabriella and Alex stiffened as a vision overtook them simultaneously

. –_They were standing in the snowy forest, with Gabriel and Michael standing before them. Both angels held bloody sword, but neither showed visible wounds. Gabriella turned and looked at Alex and saw he held a gun, relaxed in his grip and not pointing at the angels. Gabriella felt something heavy in her hand, looked down and saw the golden spear in her hand, glowing. A sense of power radiated from it, shuddering through her. She looked around the frozen scene and saw that they were beside a road, with a sign that read "Three Points Gorge". The snow blew in the wind, cutting off the vision.-_

The vision ended with her and Alex staring at each other in surprise, that had never happened before. Alex whispered, "Now we know where to go." Gabriella nodded and sighed, closing her eyes tiredly as Alex ran inside the house to get Michael. She swayed on the spot for a moment, the sparring and the power of the vision sapping her energy. She opened her eyes and walked over to the hummer, reaching into the supplies bag for a protein bar. She sighed in contentment as the sugar and protein made its way into her system. She followed Alex into the house and found him telling Michael about the vision excitedly.

He had just gotten to the point where they saw the sign when she walked into the dining room and sat down at the table carefully, her legs were shaky from exertion. She looked up to the two men and smiled tiredly, "Finally some good news huh?" she joked. Michael looked her over, she appeared weary, and they had only been awake for a few hours. He looked back to Alex and saw that he too appeared tired.

Michael realized Alex had said something, "Say that again Alex, please."

Alex sighed, "Do you know of any place by the name Three Points Gorge?"

Michael shook his head, "No, there are too many places on this earth that I haven't been to."

Alex sighed, disappointed, "Well then we need to find a map. We had best head out and find one today so we can get going in the right direction."

After a short deliberation they decided that they would search the local houses. They spent the next few hours searching houses, but found nothing. Frustrated, Michael kicked a chair, breaking it. Gabriella laid a hand on his arm trying to reassure him, and was frustrated when he pushed her away, walking out the door. She and Alex followed him and climbed into the hummer, Michael turning the vehicle on, but not going anywhere.

Gabriella pointed down the road, "Let's go into town and check to see if there's a library. That's our best shot."

Michael gave a sharp nod and pulled out, driving into town. They found a library a short time later, and entered it cautiously, quietly.

Gabriella whispered softly, reverently, "We should head to the reference section. That's where maps and atlases will be. Come on."

The men followed her, all of them walking silently, the ingrained instinct of staying quiet in a library rippling through all of them. Gabriella looked around sadly; all of the books were in terrible condition. It pained her to see books in disrepair. They spread out through the reference section pulling large atlases off the shelves and settling down at the long, dusty tables. They spent the next two hours searching through the atlases, frustrated at the lack of success, until finally Alex found Three Points Gorge in the northern most part of Vermont. They took the atlas with them and headed back to the house, having decided to spend the night after most of the day had been spent in research and house to house searches.

Gabriella and Alex stayed outside to tinker with her bike for awhile, discussing the best route to take to get north, if they had enough supplies left, and how hard they could press to make it in time.

Alex sighed and leaned back wiping grease off of his face, "I sort of wish that I could talk to Claire."

Gabriella looked up from the engine of the bike and gave him a reassuring smile, "I know. I worry about Vega and how people are doing, especially since it was under attack when we left. I am sure Claire is doing just fine though; she is an incredible woman. You wouldn't love her if she wasn't."

Alex bobbed his head, and turned away, but not before Gabriella saw tears in his eyes. She sighed and moved around the bike to sit by him, her hip and shoulder nudging his as she sat down. She looped her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's going to be ok. I am going to save Heaven and you are going to save humanity, and everything is going to be okay" she murmured. She felt Alex's body shudder next to hers and thought he was sobbing, until she heard the rough laughter ripping from him. She turned to look at him and saw tears rolling down his face, hysterical laughter choking him.

"S-save Heaven? S-save humanity? N-no b-big d-deal, right?" he choked out, laughing hard. Gabriella started laughing as well, "Oh god, we are so screwed!" she forced out, laughter tightening her words.

They sat, their laughter dying out as they calmed. Alex slung an arm around her shoulders and drew her close, brushing a kiss against her temple. "I don't know what I would do without you Gabby."

Gabriella stiffened and then smiled, "My parents were the only people that I ever let call me Gabby." Alex smiled at her softly, "Well, you're like a sister to me, so I guess that makes us family, huh?"

Gabriella nodded, "After all this shit, yea, I'd say so." She laid her head back down on his shoulder and sighed, content for the moment. She had never had a brother, had always wanted another sibling, and now she did in a way.

They sat watching the sun set, the sky darkening with brilliant shades of purple, red and magenta. Gabriella sighed and stood, stretching. "I'm going to go get cleaned up. It's your turn to make dinner."

Alex groaned, "Fine, slacker." Gabriella smacked the back of his head before turning and heading into the house, calling over her shoulder, "Shut it bro. You need the practice."

Alex laughed and stood as well, following her into the house to get dinner ready.

Gabriella headed to the finished downstairs bedroom and shucked her clothes, heading into the bathroom to clean off. She had been surprised to find that the shower still worked, though the water was cold. She scrubbed her body feeling the grime, sweat and motor oil drain away. Her long hair was finally clean after nearly a week with nothing more than a water rinse off.

She shut off the water and stepped out, toweling off. She wrapped the towel around her body and another around her hair, before walking out to the bedroom. Rummaging through her pack she pulled on clean underwear, yoga pants, and a soft sweater.

She headed upstairs and found that dinner was ready. The three of them sat down and ate quietly, and quickly, all with something on their minds. Gabriella offered to wash up the dishes so the men could shower. They quickly took her up on the offer and split off. She took her time, getting lost in the motions of cleaning. Once she was done she dried her hands and walked downstairs.

She smiled when she saw Michael reclined on the bed, his eyes closed, his hair damp and mussed. He looked younger, more innocent, and she wanted nothing more than to run her fingers through his hair. He spoke softly, "Are you just going to stand there?" She chuckled softly and moved across the room, climbed onto the bed and into his open arms. She sighed as their skin made contact, his cool, hers warm. She nestled her head under his chin and closed her eyes, breathing in his scent, it was like rain, and wind-clean.

They stayed that way for a while, silent, just holding each other. Finally Gabriella tilted her head slightly to look up at him, "I think that someone is going to get hurt when we get to the cabin. In my vision both you and Gabriel had bloody swords." She fell silent, not knowing how to continue.

Michael stayed quiet for a very long time and then spoke, "It is very likely. However, I will do everything in my power to prevent harm befalling you."

Gabriella sighed deeply, "And you should know that I will do everything I can to save Heaven and to protect you. Please, please don't do anything stupid Michael. I _will not_ live without you."

Michael stiffened and then turned her to face him, "_Please _don't do anything stupid to save me or Heaven. Your life is worth far more than mine. _Please_" he begged softly.

Gabriella stared at him, upset, "You are such an _idiot _Michael. My life is destined to be changed and put to the test to save Heaven. Whatever happens; happens. I'm not on a suicide mission, but I will do what it takes to fulfill the prophecy."

Michael stared at her, emotion clogging his throat, tears in his eyes, until Gabriella wrapped her arms around him and held him close, both letting the tension leave them, relaxing. Gabriella twisted and placed a kiss on Michael's throat, smiling when she heard his soft growl.

Michael ran his hands down her sides, kissing her softly. He pushed her sweater up, his cool fingers brushing against her warm skin, making her shudder in pleasure.

He pulled back from her pliable mouth and pulled her sweater off, growling in pleasure when he saw she wore no bra. He pushed her down onto the bed and placed a kiss at her pulse point in the hollow of her throat, feeling it jump when he trailed his hand across her waist, his mouth moving lower, scraping his teeth against her collarbone.

He moved his mouth lower, circling her breast, teasing her nipple with his teeth and tongue, making her back arch off the bed with a low moan. He ran his hand back up her side and began to tease the other breast, making her moan louder, whispering, "Please Michael, _please."_

He pulled away from her breast and trailed kisses down her abdomen, tasting the slight sheen of sweat, and the faintly metallic taste that seemed to come from her tattoos. She whined and writhed under him when his mouth skimmed across her hipbones.

He pulled her pants and underwear down and tossed them off the bed before grabbing her leg and lifting it over his shoulder. He placed a kiss to the inside of her knee, and smiled when he heard her whine softly.

He trailed his lips further down her thigh, nipping at her skin lightly, enjoying the moans that he elicited from her. When he pulled her closer to him and placed his thumb over her clit, plunged two fingers into her and quickly found her g-spot, she gasped, and thrust her hips upwards.

He began to swirl her clit and thrust his fingers in and out of her at a rapid pace, both of their breathing coming at a rapid pace. Gabriella thrust her hips up to meet Michael's hand, moaning as she did; feeling her orgasm building, knowing this was just the first.

Gabriella felt this orgasm much more strongly than ever before, her new powers making her feel every sensation of Michael's fingers, every jolt of pleasure spreading through her body like a sonic wave, ten times more powerful than before. She ached with pleasure, her body arching and writhing, moaning loudly.

Her body trembled powerfully as she came, crying out Michael's name, her fingernails raking down his arms. Michael hissed at the combined pleasure and pain, and as she was coming down from her orgasm he pulled away, shucking his own pants.

He grabbed Gabriella and pulled her on top of him, groaning when her wet core slid across his erection. Gabriella shifted her hips and teased him, dipping her hips down to take just the tip of him into her, both of them groaning at the sensation.

She pulled away when Michael tried to shift his hips and thrust deeper. Lifting herself up, she swirled her hips around his tip, gasping at the sensation, but not yet ready to give in and thrust down all the way.

Michael reached a hand up and rubbed her clit, making her gasp and moan, "Shit Michael…FUCK!" She grabbed his hand and pulled it away from her clit and onto her hip. She took a breath and slid all the way down onto him, gasping in pleasure as he filled her.

Michael's head went back, his muscles tightening in his neck and chest as he strained to hold still, letting Gabriella take the lead. He wanted to thrust, take her wildly, make her moan his name, but he knew she needed to be in control right now, when they all had so little control.

Gabriella braced her hand on Michael's chest and began to move, slowly, taking her time, letting the electric sensation build. Gabriella moaned out Michael's name, swiveling her hips, taking him deeper, gasping breaths from both of them filling the room.

Michael grabbed her hips and stilled her movements, making her whimper. He sat up, propping his knees up behind her, pulling her down onto him further, making her gasp and arch her back. He leaned in and took a breast into his mouth, teasing her nipple as she began to move her hips again, her breathy moans driving him wild.

He pulled at her nipples with his teeth, and then licked over them quickly. He reached a hand up and wound it through her hair, tugging on it gently and his hips snapped up to meet her own wild movements.

Gabriella let out a sobbing breath as Michael teased her clit, pushing her harder towards another orgasm. She felt like there was fire in her veins, and only her release could quench it.

Michael felt his own release building, but knew he needed to get Gabriella there first. He leaned up and captured her mouth with his, kissing the breath away from her. Her movements became more erratic as he thrust harder into her, placing biting kisses to her neck, marking her.

Gabriella felt her orgasm building, and when it came, it came like a firestorm, lighting up behind her eyes, and through her body. She cried out Michael's name, arching her back, her nails scrapping across his shoulders and down his back.

Michael watched the orgasm rip through her as he continued to thrust into her, his own close behind. He felt his whole body shudder as he thrust one final time, spilling himself deep inside her, gasping out her name.

They stayed that way for a long time, him holding her close, feeling her heart beat next to his. He felt her long hair brush against his shoulder as she pulled away, pressing a kiss to his cheek, "I need to use the restroom, I'll be right back."

Michael nodded and groaned softly as she pulled off of him, he hated the loss of her. He collapsed back against the pillows, watching her walk into the bathroom, the pale light of the candles in the room casting a gentle glow on her skin.

She came back a few minutes later and climbed back into the bed with him, pulling the blankets up over them both. She nestled into Michael's side, grinning as she traced the scratches she had left on his arms.

"Sorry" she whispered peering up at him through her dark lashes. He twisted his lips in a wry smile, "That's ok, I think I marked you up too," his fingers brushing across the hickey and teeth marks on her neck.

She looked up at him seriously, "I like it. We belong to each other." Michael ran his thumb over her cheek, "Indeed, we do. Now sleep my love." He slouched down onto the pillow and pulled her head onto his chest, and within a few moments they were both asleep, dreaming dreams of each other.


	23. Wipeout

**Hello my darlings! I have been having a shitty time at work, and as such have limited my writing. But I'm going to reverse that trend and get some more chapters posted soon! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Pretty please review! xoxo**

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The following morning the group headed out with Gabriella leading the way on her motorcycle and the men in the hummer. They had been travelling for five days, going at a hard pace, harassed by 8balls, resupplying and cold, nasty weather.

They were currently stopped, fighting a group of 8balls, each of them engaged in hand to hand combat, having tried to outrun them. Gabriella was fighting a particularly ugly female 8ball, who had a wicked looking jagged knife, and was losing. She had already been sliced across her abdomen, shallow, but goddamn it hurt.

She waited for the 8ball to thrust with the knife and when she did, grabbed her wrist, wrenching it until it broke. The 8ball shrieked in her ear, and she tugged on the 8ball, forcing it over her hip and slamming it into the ground. Standing over it, Gabriella panted, the icy air searing her tired lungs. She looked around for her gun and saw it a foot away.

She kicked the 8ball in the ribs, making sure it stayed down while she retrieved her gun. She nabbed her gun up and spun around quickly when she heard movement behind her. The 8ball was standing and lunged; Gabriella felt searing pain in her right bicep. She fired at the 8ball point blank, hitting it in the chest multiple times. It dropped to the ground and she coolly put a bullet between its eyes. She turned as she felt her angel sense dulling, finally only sensing Michael.

She ran over to Alex who was sitting on the ground, a gash on his head bleeding freely. She pulled his hand away from it and assessed quickly, it definitely needed stitches. She ran to the back of the hummer and grabbed her med bag, jogging back to Alex. She kneeled by him and quickly wiped away the blood before wiping it with iodine. She wiped her needle down with iodine and rapidly stitched up the gash, muttering, "Sorry!" when he winced.

After she had finished with the stitches she put a clean bandage on, smoothing a hand over his forehead. "Don't scare me like that Alex" she whispered. He gave her a mulish look, "It's not like I was trying to get hurt." She smiled wryly, "Yea I know, but still. Don't." She looked over to see Michael leaning against the hummer, wiping blood from his mouth.

He held up a hand to stop her, "I'm ok. No stitches necessary."She nodded and gathered up her medical supplies, heading to the back of the hummer. She stripped off her jacket and long sleeved Henley, wincing as her abdomen and bicep protested. She lifted her tank top and wiped the blood off of her stomach, wiped it with iodine, and wrapped a bandage around her body, suppressing a groan. She inspected her bicep, it probably needed a stitch or two, but they didn't have time. She pressed some butterfly bandages to the worst areas after wiping it down with iodine, and tied a tight bandage around it.

"You're hurt!" Michael exclaimed behind her softly, worry in his voice. She sighed and grabbed her Henley, pulling it over her head, turning to face Michael.

"I'm ok, really." She promised, hiding a grimace as she pulled her jacket on. She looked into Michael's eyes and saw real fear there, making her pause. She reached a hand up to his face, "Hey, I'm ok." She smiled reassuringly up at him, and leaned up to brush a kiss across his cheek.

He nodded, still worried. "Come on, we need to get going" Gabriella said softly. Alex and Michael climbed back into the hummer while Gabriella got back on the bike. They took off and kept travelling, pushing hard.

Over the next two days they moved steadily northward through Virginia and into western Pennsylvania. The freezing cold rain turned to sleet and then snow as they approached Pittsburgh.

Gabriella was in the lead on her motorcycle, shivering in her many layers, her skin burning despite the freezing cold. The signs on the highway buzzed past, her eyes glazed with fever. She barely noticed she was weaving, until her eyes drifted closed and they were startled back open when the hummer honked behind her. She raised a hand indicating she was okay, and drove a little further, her head pounding.

Her eyes drifted closed again, and she drifted into unconsciousness, her bike spinning out of control. She woke, feeling terror grip her as her body slammed into the pavement, her helmeted head dragging across the pavement.

Vaguely she heard the hummer come to a screeching halt. She heard running footsteps approaching and tried to move and say something to reassure the men she was ok, but found she didn't have the energy to move or speak.

Michael knelt by Gabriella, his heart racing, fear choking him. He had never experienced such an awful moment as when her bike had spun out of control and sent her rolling across the icy road. Now he removed her helmet carefully, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was breathing, her eyes closed. Her clothes were torn and she had multiple bloody scrapes, but miraculously, she seemed ok.

When he reached a hand out to touch her cheek he felt her blazing skin and cursed, no wonder she had crashed.

He scooped her up in his arms and carried her gently to the hummer, laying her down in the back, covering her with a blanket. Alex pointed to the bike, "Should we try to bring it?" Michael shook his head, "Good riddance" he muttered angrily.

They got back into the hummer and pulled away from the wreck site, driving quickly towards the city of Pittsburgh. They crested a large hill and took in the sight of the ruined city, empty and lifeless. Michael pointed to an area of the city that looked relatively livable and Alex pointed the hummer in that direction. Shortly thereafter they found an apartment and quickly unloaded, Michael carrying Gabriella.

He carried her into the first bedroom he found and quickly stripped off her torn clothes, and unwound her bandages, gritting his teeth when he saw that her wounds were red and inflamed. He riffled through the medical bag and saw that they were dangerously low on everything. He grabbed the iodine and wiped down her wounds, re-bandaging it and wrapping her in a thick blanket before tucking her into bed.

He didn't know how to get an IV in and was hoping against hope that Gabriella would wake soon so she could tell him what to do. He ran a hand over his face, frustrated, not knowing what to do. He backed out of the room and let her sleep, heading out to find Alex sitting on the couch, head in his hands.

He sat down next to Alex and sighed deeply, "She's unconscious. I don't know what to do. She needs antibiotics, but I don't think I should wake her, right?" Alex rubbed a hand over his face vigorously, "I don't know man. She hit her head hard. We should probably wake her up."

Michael frowned deeply, "Yea, ok." He stood and walked back into her room and sat gently on the bed. He laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently, speaking softly, "Gabriella? Gabriella…please wake up." His heart raced as she remained out. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple, "Please Gabriella, wake up" he whispered.

She shifted and stirred, searching out his voice. Her eyes fluttered open, and he had never been so happy to see her beautiful ocean blue eyes as he was then. He reached a hand out and brushed a thumb against her cheekbone, "Hello there my love" he whispered, his heart in his throat.

Gabriella's eyes were unfocused as they rested on his face. "M-michael" she strained to whisper. He smiled at her, the pain on his face obvious to Alex, who was hovering in the doorway. "Darling, you have an infection and there aren't any IV meds left, just some pills. I need to know, should you take them?"

Gabriella fought to focus on his words, her head fuzzy. She nodded slowly, "Tell me what we have." Michael nodded and leaned down for the med bag, rummaging through it before pulling out the last bottle with just three pills in it. "What is it?" she whispered. He read the label, "Ampicillin?" Gabriella nodded, "Give me all three, and then I'll need IV fluids."

Michael nodded and twisted off the lid, dumping the pills into his hand before grabbing a bottle of water. He helped her drink and watched as she swallowed the pills. He encouraged her to drink more water until she shook her head and pushed the bottle away. She collapsed back against the pillow and her eyes drifted closed, exhaustion taking over. She whispered, "You need to go into the city, to one of the UPMC buildings. They were huge before everything went to shit. Find meds there and bring them back."

Michael was hesitant to leave her alone, but knew that the need for meds was desperate. He ran a hand over her face, sick to his stomach with worry. Gabriella smiled up at him wearily, "Go. Take Alex, and get back soon. I'll make you a list of what we need." Michael nodded and stood, heading out to the kitchen for a pen and paper.

He came back quickly and settled back down on the bed, "Ok, what do we need?" he asked quietly. Gabriella's eyes were closed, and there was a slight sheen of sweat on her forehead as she spoke, "Five saline bags, varying sizes of bandages, painkillers-strong ones, and regular Advil if they have it and antibiotics- as many different types as you can get." She took a deep breath and continued, "Get some more needles and suture kits for me too. That should be it."

Michael nodded and tucked the list into his inner jacket pocket and stood, staring down at Gabriella, who was fighting to stay awake. She smiled weakly at him, "Go! I'll be fine."

Michael nodded sharply and walked out of the room, unable to stay longer. He motioned to Alex, "Come on, we need to get med supplies."

Alex nodded and pulled on his heavy jacket, sheathing his knife and tucking his gun into his waistband. Michael wrapped a scarf around his neck and buttoned his jacket tight before they headed out to the hummer.

The moved quickly through the city to the large UPMC hospital clusters, parking in front. As they stepped out and walked toward the entrance, four 8balls swooped down from the tall roof and landed in front of them, grinning evilly.

Michael reached for his swords while Alex whipped his gun out to point at the 8balls. Both felt a ripple of nerves as they assessed the situation. They knew they were screwed, but had to fight anyway. They moved slowly to stand side by side, covering each other. Suddenly there was a loud buffeting of air, and another figure dropped in front of them.

The figure straightened and faced the men, shocking Michael when he saw it was Uriel. She flung back her golden hair and gave him a smirk, "Shall we brother?" she asked before turning back to the 8balls, raising her sword.

The 8balls now looked nervous, having to face two higher angels, and the Chosen One. They dove into the fray and began battling with the 8balls. The fight lasted a few short minutes, and was easily won by Michael, Alex and Uriel.

They sheathed their weapons and headed into the hospital, spreading out to search for the items Gabriella had asked for. After an hour they had found all the items on the list, and had reconvened back at the entrance to the building. Uriel lay a restraining hand on Michael's arm, "Those 8balls won't be the last. There are more flying in as we speak. I can control them and keep them at bay until you get out of the city."

Michael stared at her, "You can control them?" Uriel nodded, "I find it distasteful as well Michael, but I learned when I saw the madness in Gabriel's eyes." She took a breath and then continued, "I can hold them off for a few days at most, but after that, Gabriel will retake possession of them."

Michael nodded, "Very well, thank you sister." He and Alex grabbed their bags filled with med supplies and ran out to the hummer, throwing the supplies in the back before jumping in and tearing away from the hospital.

As they drove away Alex peered out of the window and saw 8balls perched on the tall buildings watching them. He saw Uriel fly up to face them and make hand movements, and a moment later the 8balls flew away, Uriel in pursuit.

Michael and Alex raced back into the house, bolting the door behind them. They ran to Gabriella and found her sleeping restlessly, her face pale, and the fever higher than before. Alex assisted him with setting up the IV and getting antibiotics into the drip. They checked her wounds and cleaned them, re-bandaging them and then bundling her back up in blankets.

For the next three days Gabriella slept fitfully, being fed by Michael or Alex when she woke briefly. On the fourth day her fever had broken and her wounds were healing cleanly. Gabriella pushed the blankets back weakly, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She tried to stand and sank back down to the bed as a wave of dizziness swept her.

Michael was in the room in an instant, having heard her movements from the other room. He was by her side in an instant, "Get back in bed" he said grabbing her legs and trying to push her back. Gabriella glared at him, "Let me up!" she was fierce, and tried to stand again. When she swayed, Michael's hands grasped her waist and steadied her. She stared up into his face, "Please, help me walk, I need some movement."

Michael closed his eyes and breathed deeply, opening them and grimacing at her before wrapping an arm around her waist, "Come on, five minutes, that's all you get." Gabriella smiled at him, thankful for his assistance, even if he didn't want to give it.

With his assistance Gabriella made it out into the kitchen, where she now stood, clinging to the kitchen counter, her muscles trembling at the exertion. Michael stood beside her, his hand ghosting at the small of her back, prepared for her to drop. Alex stood on the other side of the counter and gave her a tentative smile, "Hey Gabby, good to see you up."

She smiled back at him, "Thanks Alex, I'm happy to be up. Is there any food?" she asked, her stomach rumbling. Alex moved around the counter and grabbed a bowl of spiced oatmeal with powdered eggs he had made just in case she woke up. He offered it to her and both men watched as she leaned heavily against the counter and took small bites, her eyes sliding shut in happiness.

After she finished eating she set the bowl down carefully, "So let's get going. We need to get back on the road."

Michael stared at her incredulously, "No. Absolutely not." Gabriella glared at him, "Why the hell not?!"

Michael grabbed her by the bicep, quickly letting go when she winced, "Because you are so weak you can barely stand! There is no way you could stand the rigors of the road." He swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom, opening the closet to reveal a full length mirror. He set Gabriella down and turned her to face the mirror.

"Look! Look at yourself!" he hissed, fear and anger making him tremble. Gabriella stared at her feet until Michael forced her chin up, making her stare at her reflection. A small gasp escaped her as she took in her appearance. Now she could see why Michael and Alex had grimaced at her appearance.

Tears streamed down her face as she took in her prominent cheekbones, thin wrists, her collarbones jutting up tight under her skin. She looked like…a prisoner of war. She turned into Michael's waiting embrace and sobbed, collapsing with exhaustion and emotion. Michael swept her into his arms and sat down in the chair by the bed, soothing her.

When her tears had stopped he murmured, "Now listen, I know you are strong, and so does Alex. But you being sick weakened you. You lost a lot of weight on this journey, and the changes occurring to your body have made you tired. We are going to rest here for the rest of today and leave tomorrow. You need more time to sleep, eat and hydrate. Okay?"

Gabriella nodded weakly, she already felt tired. Michael carried her back to bed and tucked her in, "Do you need anything?" he asked quietly. She smiled at him sadly, sorry she had caused him so much worry.

"A book from my bag and something to drink would be great" she murmured. Michael nodded and leaned down, brushing a kiss to her forehead before walking out of the room to grab her book and a protein drink he had found in the hospital. After dropping them off with Gabriella he pulled her door shut, knowing she would be asleep soon.

"That was a little intense, don't you think?" Alex asked softly. Michael shook his head and sank down on the couch beside him. He ran a hand over his face, "I know. But…I can't let her hurt herself trying to fulfill this damn prophecy." Alex nodded and sighed, "I know man, but you can't prevent her from being her."

The men sat in silence for a long time until Michael got up to make some dinner. They ate, keeping an eye on the sky, making sure that the 8balls weren't coming for them.

Alex motioned to the couch, "I'll sleep out here." Michael nodded and grabbed a bowl of the food, taking it into Gabriella. She was asleep, but he stroked her arm softly, rousing her. She looked at him with sleepy eyes and he smiled at her. "Eat something and then go back to sleep" he spoke softly.

She sat up a bit and accepted the food, eating more heartily than before. Michael stripped off his jacket and boots and climbed into bed with her. He was tired too, and while his body wanted to fall asleep, he instead lay on his side and watched Gabriella eat, pleased to see that she had an appetite.

When Gabriella had finished eating she set the bowl on the bedside table and turned to Michael, easily slipping into his arms. Her medical mind knew she needed more rest, food, and antibiotics, but her adventurous spirit said to get back on the road, they only had a few more days. Her thoughts became muddled as she drifted back to sleep, safe in Michael's arms.

Michael watched her sleep for awhile, worried at her weight loss and how weak she looked. He could only hope that she would gain some weight and strength in the week that they had left to make it to Vermont. As he drifted to sleep, his last thought was that he hoped she had the strength to survive it all.

**The next day**

The next day Michael convinced her to ride in the hummer, to stay warm and healthy. They packed up the hummer with Gabriella in the back seat, under a pile of blankets, with a bottle of water and food. She had been commanded to eat, drink and sleep. If they were harassed by 8ball, she was to stay in the hummer and not get involved.

She was deeply unhappy with the situation, but after eating some protein bars, dried fruit, jerky and drinking a bottle of water, she eventually fell asleep, her body needing rest.

They drove for nearly a day straight until the men had to stop, exhaustion overwhelming them, pulling to the side of the road. They slept for four hours and then with Alex behind the wheel, continued driving.

Gabriella woke when the hummer came to a screeching halt, throwing her forward. Panic seized her when she looked out the window; there was a group of five 8balls in the road, blocking them.

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**DUN DUN DUN...lol Hope you guys enjoyed it! More to come soon! The big showdown will be happening in a few chapters! Prepare yourselves emotionally! MWUAHAHAHAHHA ;D**


	24. Healing

**Hellooo my lovely readers! I am so sorry it has been so long, but lemme tell you, it's been a HELLA week. First, I worked 20 hours of overtime(which my company is like lol thanks! buuut we aren't compensating you for that) and second, I got food poisoning on Friday! YEA! So I have been down for the count since 8am Friday, and am just starting to feel better. Hopefully going to get some more planning done and then another chapter out tomorrow, but we'll see. So anyways, hope you like it, we are moving the story along, the big confrontation will be in a few chapters! Please review, and I will try to get something out for y'all soon! xoxoxoxo**

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Michael and Alex leapt from the hummer with their weapons drawn, locking the doors behind them, leaving Gabriella to pound and shout weakly on the windows for them to let her out.

Alex and Michael each engaged with two of the 8balls, fighting for their lives, fighting harder and as a team as the last 8ball stepped in, drawing two swords. The men fought as a smooth team, moving with ease as they brought down each 8ball. Alex killed the last of his two 8balls; turning to help Michael and saw that he was still up against two. He drew his gun and fired, dropping the 8ball so Michael could finish the double sword wielding 8ball off.

The men stood, sweating, scratched and slightly bloodied, waiting to see if any more 8balls would appear. After a few minutes they went back to the hummer, wiping the blood off of their faces, using the antibiotic wipes to clean off their scratches, and then climbed back into the hummer. The men sat, breathing unevenly, their heartbeats settling. Alex looked back to Gabriella, "You hear any more of them?" She shook her head, "No. Do either of you need me to patch you up?" Both men shook their heads no, and with that, Michael started the hummer, taking off quickly.

Gabriella sat back, shaken and weak. Now they knew for sure that the 8balls from Pittsburgh were pursuing them. As they drove north for the rest of the night, Gabriella rested, eating more nuts and dried fruit and taking antibiotics. As she drifted off to sleep, she could feel that her fever was gone, and her heart rate was normalizing. For the next day, as the men drove, she slept, aided by antibiotics and food.

Michael and Alex took turns driving, keeping a close eye on Gabriella. "You think she's getting better?" Alex asked softly, looking over his shoulder quickly, then back to the road. Michael nodded sharply, he had been using his angelic powers to speed her recovery as best he could, giving her strength, but it took a great deal of strength from him to do so. "I've been giving her strength, while she sleeps, to hasten her healings." Alex looked at him sharply, "Won't that weaken you?" Michael nodded, "Yes, but fortunately I can replenish my energy faster than she can hers." Alex nodded and focused back on the road, a worried look on his face.

After another full day of driving they were in upper New York, and were in desperate need of a break. Michael had flown ahead and found a small house in a clearing, absent any neighbors, but within a few short miles of the nearest small town so they could refuel the hummer. They unpacked quickly and both men agreed that Gabriella would stay behind while they split up to find gas and food. Michael would get the gas, and Alex would hunt, as the woods would still be full of game at this time of the year.

Though Gabriella wanted to go with the men, she knew she was still regaining her strength, and would more likely be a liability than a help. Instead, while they were gone, she pulled out her sword and began to move through the practice movements that Michael had taught her, going slowly, not trying to tire herself.

After only 30 minutes she felt her muscles beginning to tremble and knew she needed to stop. She wiped her face off, breathing unevenly from the workout, but still smiled, knowing that the fact that she had been able to go for that long was a good sign. She went into the kitchen and began washing off some of the sweet potatoes they had brought with them, rubbing the dirt off before dumping them into the pot and filling it with water. After she had the pot on the stove, she moved around the house restlessly, repacking their bags, cleaning their guns, and reading a book.

Gabriella sighed and set the book aside, standing up from the loveseat, moving to look out the window. Shouldn't they have been back by now? She was worried. Maybe she shouldn't have been, they managed quite well, but she liked it better when they were all together, working as a team.

Hearing a hissing noise, Gabriella turned and saw the potatoes boiling over. "Shit shit shit!" she exclaimed, running into the kitchen. She quickly poured out the potatoes and left a touch of water in, mashing them dry was no easy task. She added some powdered milk and spices, and a short time later, had a steaming pot of mashed sweet potatoes. She quickly heated up a few cans of green beans, and about the time she was wondering if she was going to have to go search for her missing idiots, they came home.

Alex came in the front door, followed closely by Michael. Alex held up a dead bird, already plucked and cooked, it appeared. Gabriella grinned, "Good timing!" She grabbed the three plates of prepared food and set them down at the table, leaving the bird for Alex to prepare.

Michael came and sat beside Gabriella, touching a hand to her cheek softly. "You look more awake than I've seen you in days. You look good." She smiled softly at him, "I am. The antibiotics are doing their job. Plus sleeping for almost two days straight works wonders on a body."

Michael leaned in, kissing her very softly before pulling away to look into her eyes, "You didn't overtax yourself tonight while I was gone did you?"

Gabriella shook her head gently, "No, I am being a good patient. I did a little sword work, repacked our bags, and cleaned the weapons. Nothing too strenuous."

Michael raised a brow, "And prepared dinner." Gabriella gave him a winning smile, "Yes, well, we have to eat. And I was bored."

He sighed and gave her a firm look, "You try my patience my love." She smiled wryly back at that, "Now you know how I felt all those long weeks you were being an ass to me!"

At this, Michael laughed, a little shamefaced, but nodded, "Very true. And once again, I am sorry." Gabriella smiled and ran her hand through his hair, down to his neck, pulling him in for a light kiss, "All forgiven flyboy."

At that moment Alex came in, clearing his throat loudly, bearing the cooked bird on a platter. With a grin at them both he set it down and settled himself down across from them, "Time to eat. Hope you like pheasant." Gabriella grinned, "Sounds great."

They all dug in with relish, after having eaten road rations for days. There was little talk, but it was a comfortable silence they shared. As Michael and Alex cleared the table, Gabriella leaned on her hand, her eyes drifting closed. She had eaten more tonight than she had in days, and it hadn't escaped her that both men had not so subtly tried to get her to eat multiple helpings more than once.

_Though, I am nice and full now, so I guess I can't get too upset with them_. She thought wearily. She was so tired; maybe she would just rest her head for a minute. A few minutes later when Alex came out of the kitchen, he found her, sound asleep, head on the table.

Alex grinned and walked over, lifting her from the dining room chair and carried her to the small bed just down the hallway, tucking her in with a tender, brotherly smile. Her hand grasped his in her sleep and he smiled, sitting by her side as she settled more comfortable into a deep sleep.

Her fingers loosened in his grasp as she slept, and as Alex went to stand, the tattoos on his left forearm changed, revealing a message. _The battle for humanity begins. _As it faded he sighed, just what he wanted to see, he thought.

He found Michael outside her room, sitting on the floor; hands covering his face, his shoulders slumped in exhaustion. Alex laid a hand softly on his shoulder, and when his friend looked up at him, he saw sadness and exhaustion written on it. He held a hand out and helped him stand, "I'll take first watch man, and you get some rest."

Michael nodded blankly and walked into Gabriella's room, pulling his jacket off stiffly before laying down beside her. He pulled her gently into him, wrapping an arm around her waist, smiling softly when she made a small noise of contentment in her sleep and snuggled against him.

He soon fell asleep, nearly as exhausted as she was. Five hours later Alex came into the bedroom and roused Michael, shaking his arm softly. Michael nodded at the sight of Alex pointing to his watch silently; it was his turn on watch.

Alex went back out to the couch and lay down; his hands were shaking with exhaustion, after driving all day, hunting and being on watch he had nothing left. He quickly fell asleep, his body no longer able to tell whether the couch was comfortable or not, it simply needed recovery.

Michael made patrols around the house, and walked through the small wooded area nearby. He cocked his head, hearing a noise, and lifted himself into flight, going above the tree line. He looked around and saw nothing; it was probably an animal he reassured himself.

A moment later a large winged figure burst from the trees and hovered in front of him. "Brother, it is good to see you alive and well." Uriel's voice called to him, light and sweet.

He flew closer to her, "And you my sister. Thank you for the safe passage you provided out of Pittsburgh. We would have had a harder time without your help."

Uriel inclined her golden head, the moonlight glinting off her hair, "You are most welcome brother. Has Gabriel been harassing you?"

Michael shook his head, "No, not really, though the 8balls are under his command, so I suppose in a way, yes."

She smiled at him, "I only wished to see how you were, I need to return to Helena."

He nodded, he knew of his sister's scheming, but held nothing against her. If she wanted to rule Helena with Arika, she could do so, if she wanted to return to Heaven when they saved it, she could. "Father's blessing on you sister" he murmured softly.

She smiled, "Blessings on you, my brother" she said softly before turning and flying away.

He watched her fly away until he could no longer see her and then turned; flying up to a ridge where he could see the small clearing where the house lay and watched as the night darkened further, storm clouds rolled in, and a cold sleety rain began to fall.

He braced himself under a tree and kept watch for hours as the sleet turned to snow, eventually feeling the cold settling into his limbs, making him shudder and shake. After the longest 5 hours of his life(or so it felt) were up, he flew unsteadily down to the house and shook the snow off of his wings before stepping into the house.

It was nearly as cold as outside, but they couldn't risk a fire. He didn't see Alex on the couch and walked back to Gabriella's room, where he found him, curled up in his jacket and under a blanket, with Gabriella's head on his chest.

Michael stared at them, glad to know that Gabriella was safe, and that she and Alex loved each other, seeing as they each had so little in the way of family.

He backed out of the room and went out to the living room, grabbed one of his sweaters from his pack and put it on before pulling his jacket back on. He grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and lay down, his whole body aching and cold. He wrapped the blanket more tightly around him and slowly eased into sleep as his tired, cold and achy limbs relaxed and warmed.

The next morning, they all roused quickly, the cold prompting them to move with haste. They ate a cold breakfast of leftovers and quickly got back into the hummer and onto the road, knowing they had little time left, and a long ways still to go.


	25. Two Days Left

**Hellooooo lovelies! I hope everyone is doing well and is ready for some updates. It's going to get good in the next few chapters, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Thank you all for reading! much love! xoxo**

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Alex drove for hours until he was too tired to continue, at which point Michael took over. Gabriella offered to drive, but was shot down by both men. She sat in the back, sipping on water and occasionally eating protein bars. She had put on some weight in the past few days, but was still regaining her strength, and her wound was barely healed over. She flexed her arm, bending and moving it, making sure the flesh kept moving and the muscle underneath was still strong.

She hadn't told the men, but her pendant was glowing softly against her skin, so they must be heading in the right direction. They had found some maps of Vermont when they had entered the state, and had determined that they needed to head to the northernmost part of Vermont. She held the map in her lap, directing them as they drove, which for now was pointless, as they were on the highway, and would be for some time.

She pulled a novel out of her pack and settled in to read, it was pretty much the only thing that helped to pass the time, other than sleeping, and for once she wasn't tired. She knew that not being tired was a good sign; it meant she was healing, that her body had extra stores of energy that her body wasn't using to fight an infection.

She sipped on more water as she read; the book was quite good she thought, it was about a woman who had been kidnapped and held captive for a year, and it was quite thrilling. She was engrossed when Alex called back, "Hey, shouldn't we be turning Gabriella?"

She looked up from her book and saw that they were idling on the side of the road. She grabbed the map and then asked, "What mile marker did we just pass?"

Alex turned to look back at her, "51.5"

"Hmmm, ok, hold on" she murmured tracing a finger over the map. "Ok, go another two miles and take exit 53, to Snowbank Road."

Alex nodded and pulled away from the side of the road, driving slowly until they came to the exit. Alex negotiated the snowy roads easily and continued down the road, asking over his shoulder, "Where to now?"

Gabriella consulted the map, "Mmm, go another 10 miles on this road and then we'll be making a left onto Three Points Road. From there it's another twenty miles to Three Points Gorge, and at that point, we are in the national forest, and there are thousands of acres to search for the cabin."

She heard Michael sigh and saw him stare out the window, a look of frustration on his face. She was frustrated too, and knew they still had a ways to go before they were successful in finding the cabin and the spear.

They had just two days left, and they were running out of daylight. She was scared, and for once, wasn't looking forward to her birthday.

Her parents had always made sure that they celebrated, no matter how dangerous their current living situation was, or how little they had to go around. She remembered the year she turned 16, and her mom had given her two boxes wrapped in newspaper.

She had only ever gotten one present each year, so the second one had been a huge surprise. They had been living in a warehouse at the time, and had been safe for over a year.

She remembered the huge smile her mom had given her as she opened the first box; it held a hunter green dress with an a-line waist, elbow length sleeves, and a scoop neck. Gabriella had fought tears as she held it up against her body, so excited to have something new, and so beautiful.

Her mother had tears in her eyes when she handed her the second box, "I think you're old enough for this."

Gabriella had opened it to find a collection of makeup and a few pieces of jewelry. This time she did cry, hugging her mother tight, whispering her thanks.

Her mother pulled away smiling and wiping away tears, "I guess I should show you how to put this on properly, huh?"

They had spent the next few hours playing dress up and doing Gabriella's hair and makeup, relaxing and enjoying her birthday. Now she thought that the most likely gift she would receive on her birthday would be the spear. If they lived to find it.

Gabriella fell asleep a short while later, her body resting, healing. Alex and Michael drove for hours down Three Points Road, into the dark reaches of the national forest. They came upon an abandoned Ranger station and decided to pull over and check it, look and see if there were any maps to help guide them.

Alex roused Gabriella and helped her from the hummer, sticking close to her as they walked into the station. The three of them moved through the station quietly, looking for maps or files to indicate where they should go to find the cabin.

Gabriella sat down at the desk in the back and began to rifle through the drawers, pulling out files and papers, yellowed with age. After a short period of time Gabriella sat back with a sigh, she hadn't found anything useful.

She looked around the room until her eyes landed on a filing cabinet. She stood and went over, tugging open the top drawer. Riffling through the files she came across one labeled "DO NOT APPROACH-Three Points Gorge."

Raising a brow, she pulled the file out and leaned against the filing cabinet, laying the file open on top of it. She flipped through it quickly once, noting that there were three photos of the cabin, the road, and an aerial shot. There were hand written reports, and a point on a map circled in red.

She grinned and gathered up the documents and took the file out to the men, waving it in the air, "Look what I found!" she called with a grin. Alex and Michael converged on her, taking the file and spreading it out on the front counter.

Michael studied the map, staring at it intently. He looked up at Gabriella and Alex who were discussing the written reports, and cleared his throat, "I believe from what this map indicates, the cabin is no more than 50 miles away. We can make that by tomorrow afternoon. We can bed down here tonight, since it's already late, and get on the road early."

Alex and Gabriella exchanged a quick look, and both nodded, "Ok, sounds good" Alex said.

They moved quickly to unpack the hummer and get it hidden behind the building in the small garage. Gabriella prepared some rice and beans with some venison jerky simmered all together. Alex had found a space heater and poured some gas into it, lighting it so that they could sit around it and be warm while they ate.

Gabriella reclined in Michael's lap, her head resting on his shoulder while he finished eating. She was warm, and sleepy, drifting off as Alex and Michael talked in soft low tones. Michael looked down at Gabriella, pleased to see the color in her cheeks, the weight that she had gained back in the past weeks, making her look healthier.

He cradled her in his arms and lifted her, carrying her to their bedroll, laying her down gently. He curled himself up with her and listened as Alex moved to open a window near the back to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. After a few minutes the ranger station was quiet as they all settled into their bedrolls, both men decompressing and wondering what the next day would bring. Eventually, they fell asleep, the rigors of the road taking their toll.


	26. Parley

**Two chapters in one day, man you guys are luuuucky! Lol More to come, though I only have two more chapters planned, I am a little stuck on where the story should head from the point it is at. No worries, just be patient and I will figure it out! thank you for reading! ~please review~ xoxo**

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The next morning they repacked the hummer and ate a cold breakfast of the last night's leftovers before getting back on the road, file in hand.

Gabriella re-read the written reports, noting that multiple people over the years had discovered the abandoned cabin, had taken refuge there during bad snowstorms or other bad weather, and had found themselves safe, with plenty of firewood, and miraculously, food.

But when the rangers went to look at the cabin, there was nothing, no wood, no food, and more importantly Gabriella thought, no chest with a spear in it. She sighed, dropping the file into her lap, rubbing her face tiredly.

They had been driving for over two hours, over bumpy dirt and gravel roads, and she was more than ready to get out of the car. She was nervous and felt twitchy, knowing they were getting closer to their goal.

She reflected over the past few months, amazed at how much had happened, and how far they had come. But she was worried that it wasn't far enough. They needed to convince Gabriel to turn away from his war, to help them win back heaven, and she didn't know how to do that. He was convinced that God wouldn't be coming back no matter what happened, and that he would be a better ruler of humanity than his Father ever was.

Gabriella stared out the window at the snow covered ground, trying to figure out how to appeal to Gabriel, to turn him to their side. She ate a protein bar and sipped on a bottle of sports drink, wondering if it would be possible to reach out to Gabriel in a vision state.

It was something she hadn't ever tried, but she thought with her growing array of powers, though she wasn't sure she was an angel yet, it may be possible.

She ate the last of her protein bar and washed it down with a sip of her sports drink before she settled into her seat more comfortably, closing her eyes, reaching into herself for the pool of power that she had come to associate with the visions.

Taking deep even breaths she sunk into her power, letting her spirit flow out of her body, out of the car, and began searching for Gabriel.

She travelled over the snowy forests moving further and further north, until she found the fiery form that was Gabriel. She sank down into the forest and found him, sitting by a blazing fire, surrounded by other angels.

Her spirit form stood in front of him, staring at him evenly. Gabriel stared back at her, expressionless for a long moment, and then laughed, "Well! This is a surprise!"

Gabriella cocked her head to the side, that wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. Gabriel stood and moved close to her, curiously reaching his hand out to touch her hand, both of them registering surprise when his hand passed through hers.

Gabriella flinched slightly, but held her ground, staring into his eyes when they locked onto hers. "You've gotten stronger my dear" he murmured.

Gabriella nodded, "Yea, well that's not what I came here to talk about. Can we speak in private please?"

Gabriel stared at her for a moment before dismissing his guards with a wave of his hand. He motioned for her to sit on the sawed off log next to him, and Gabriella moved slowly, not sure she would be able to.

Concentrating on making her form more solid, she sat slowly, and found she was able to rest on top of the log.

She turned to face Gabriel, "Gabriel, tell me something. All the stories and Bible passages my parents used to read to me about you suggested that you were God's right hand man…literally. So what happened?"

He stared at her for a long moment and then shook his head, "I was. But after millennia of watching humanity tear itself apart, Father grew tired of humanity. So he asked us to clean Earth of your scourge. I did as I was asked, employing the lower angels, and began to rid Earth of humanity. But Michael refused to follow through, deciding instead to _save _humanity. He wanted to give Father what he _needed _not what he asked for, or so he said."

Gabriel shook his head and made a noise of disgust. "Him, the great bringer of floods, now stopping one, now the _savior of humanity._ Well, we'll see how that holds up when everything he loves is in danger."

Gabriel gave her a dangerous look and then went back to staring at the fire.

Gabriella stared at him, frustrated; she knew all of that already. "Come on Gabriel, you know what I'm talking about. You could be better than this, I know you can be! Why do you want to rule humanity? Why do you want to be a God over humanity? Michael loves you and wants nothing more than to have you back, helping him, being his brother in arms again. So why can't you do that?"

Gabriel stared at her, and then shook his head, "You are an idealist, aren't you? No, don't answer." He sighed and then rubbed a hand over his face, "Father abandoned us after Michael and I began fighting. Someone had to take control."

He made a noise of disgust and anger, "Why can't we be brothers in arms again? Because, how do you trust someone who betrayed you? Someone who was always supposed to be at your side, and instead is now fighting against you. How do you recover from a betrayal like that? I will never trust him again."

He said nothing else, and remained sitting, staring at the fire, anger, disappointment, and a mix of other complicated emotions written on his face.

Gabriella stared at him for a long moment and then stood, "Gabriel, I strongly suspect I will see you in a few days. I hope that when I do, we are on the same side."

She reached a hand out and willed herself into stronger existence, touching his cheek softly, startling him into looking up. "I think you will find that humanity and God have an amazing capacity for forgiveness. I forgive you, Gabriel, and I love you. Trust in that forgiveness and you may find that your world will change."

She turned and walked away into the forest, hoping that her words had done some good, following the tug she could feel leading her back to her body. Gabriella sank bank into herself, her eyes snapping open.

She found Alex and Michael both staring at her, the hummer idling on the side of the road. Michael and Alex exchanged a relieved look before turning their attention back to her.

"Are you alright, your eyes turned white, and you were murmuring to yourself." Alex asked concern in his voice.

Gabriella looked to Michael who appeared frightened, but he gave her a warm smile, though it did little to dispel the tight lines around his eyes.

Gabriella nodded, "I'm ok. I just, had a talk with Gabriel. I-I had hoped that talking to him, heart to heart might help, but I don't know that it did."

She sighed and ran a hand over her face, "I don't know that he wants to be helped. He's scared that he's going to be hurt by you Michael. He saw you disobeying God's orders as a betrayal, of your friendship, your family and of the trust between you."

She held up a hand at the look on his face, "I'm not saying that's what I think, I don't. But it's what he thinks, and it's a hard attitude to dispel. You two will need to have a heart to heart, a real one."

She saw the look on Michael's face, a complicated one of anger and despair. He was so angry with Gabriel, but she knew he loved his brother, and wanted him back, as his brother in arms, his friend, and comrade. It broke her heart.

Gabriella sighed, "Come on, we need to keep going. He's going to be meeting us there, and we need to be ready."

It was mid afternoon, and they were getting closer to the cabin, Gabriella could feel it. Like the tug that had led her back to her body, she could feel a tug pulling them closer to the cabin, and her necklace was glowing softly against her skin. She was finally feeling stronger, more rested, and had some weight back on her frame.

She didn't know how she would be a match for Gabriel, but she hoped that God would grant her strength.

She had no idea what type of fighting skills he would employ, but hopefully everything that Michael and Alex had taught her would be enough to keep her alive, and to help bring him to heel, without killing him.

She prayed she wouldn't have to kill Gabriel; she knew that would break Michael's heart and very likely would tear them apart.

She rested her head against the glass of the window, her breath fogging it up, idly drawing patterns as the time passed. She drew the fleece blanket around her more tightly, drifting into a light nap. A short time later a hand jolted her awake.

"Gabby, we're here." Alex's voice reached into her subconscious and pulled her into reality. She sat up, shedding the blanket and looked out the open car door, seeing the cabin covered in snow, framed by large oaks and pines. Alex and Michael stood by the hummer, armed and waiting for her to exit.

Gabriella sighed, knowing as soon as she did, destiny would take over, and she would have little control over the path that her feet would travel on. That weighing heavily on her mind, she stepped out of the hummer and into the bright whiteness of the snow.


End file.
